Surprise Date
by cojack
Summary: C/7. AU where Seven makes an unexpected change as to the choice for her proposed first date during the episode "Someone to Watch Over Me" with interesting repercussions.
1. Teaser

DISCLAIMER: It's Paramount's galaxy.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: C/7. AU where Seven makes an unexpected change as to the choice for her proposed first date during the episode "Someone to Watch Over Me" with interesting repercussions.

I've decided to try something different for me and write the five AUs from "Possibilities" simultaneously. I'll post the first chapter "teaser" for each over the next few days and then go from there (expanded from what was in the original). Reviews are always welcome.

#

SURPRISE DATE

Stardate 52649.3

"Seven, I need the data from those last two Astrometric scans," Ensign Kim said as he entered Astrometrics holding a data PADD. Instead of stopping where Seven stood, however, he walked right past to examine what was displayed on the Astrometrics main visual.

Ensign Kim's curiosity was a constant of the universe, Seven mused. "In a moment," she replied crisply not looking up. She was entering commands and examining something else on one of the rear consoles.

"That looks like the crew manifest," Kim remarked staring up at the main visual. A dozen or so names were displayed and scrolling.

Seven nodded and glanced over her shoulder at the screen. She was just completing the task. "The Doctor asked me to pick a suitable candidate."

Ensign Kim appeared confused and turned to face Seven. "For what?"

"Lesson ten. The first date."

"Your first date?" Kim responded. He appeared bemused and his incredulous tone irritated Seven. She decided to ignore this initial reaction. Her social lessons with the Doctor were proceeding adequately and she felt ready for this next step. In fact, perhaps Ensign Kim could be of assistance.

"I've narrowed the list to two crewmen, based on work performance and compatible interests."

"I didn't know you had any interests."

"Neither did I, but apparently they include astronomy, quantum mechanics and music."

"I play the clarinet, you know," Kim replied. Seven smiled inwardly. Ensign Kim had made his desires plain since soon after she first arrived. She had never reciprocated his interest. Although she felt she had a good working relationship with the ensign, she never considered it desirable to pursue anything further.

"You are not one of the candidates, Ensign," Seven replied. She picked up a PADD to control the main screen and stepped up onto the platform in front of Astrometrics.

"Oh," Kim said with obvious disappointment and then followed her in front of the main screen. "Well, maybe I could help you pick Mister Right," he suggested.

Given his responses so far, Seven was more dubious about the veracity of his assistance, but decided obtaining his opinion couldn't hurt. She tapped in the correct commands on the PADD and the first candidate's image appeared on the Astrometrics main screen. "Ensign Bronowski, assigned to the Airponics bay. His work record is flawless and he plays the accordion."

Kim grimaced. "Badly, very badly. He's got no sense of humor."

What does humor have to do with playing the accordion? Seven wondered. Besides, she was unconvinced about the need for her match to play a musical instrument. Seven nodded anyway and cycled the image to the next candidate. "Lieutenant Chapman, Structural Engineering."

"Chapman's a nice guy," Kim said noncommittal. He didn't sound particularly convinced, although appeared more amenable to this match over Ensign Bronowski.

"We worked together on an away mission. He seemed efficient." That was easy enough. Seven was about to make the final decision when she noticed the continued unsettled look on Ensign Kim's face. Was there something he disapproved of with Lieutenant Chapman? The selection had taken no time at all, perhaps there was time to show some other candidates.

"There was one other I considered having as a finalist," Seven offered and tapped in the commands to call up the image.

"Commander Chakotay?" Kim said with surprise.

"Yes," Seven replied, uncertain why the Commander would elicit such a strong response as compared to the other two.

"He has no musical talent," Kim protested. "The two of you have nothing in common."

"That is not true," Seven responded. "He also has an interest in astronomy." She looked back at the image and added, "He is easy to interact with and comes to Astrometrics every afternoon for the daily report. We already have a rapport of sorts. I estimate his other attributes compensate for a lack of musical abilities."

Kim was shaking his head, and again Seven was irritated. What was wrong with Commander Chakotay as a choice for a date? "No…" was all Kim eventually said.

"Clarify," Seven asked. She couldn't quite hide the displeasure in her voice.

"He's… what twenty years older than you?"

"Chronologically, twenty-one years, two months and thirteen days," Seven stated. "If you take into account my accelerated growth in the Borg maturation chamber, it is only an eleven year biological difference in age. That is irrelevant. There are countless examples in Federation and pre-Federation records of human couples with even larger age differences."

Kim shifted uncomfortably. "But… He's your commanding officer."

"Also irrelevant. I am not in Star Fleet, and technically neither is Commander Chakotay. Besides, Star Fleet regulations do allow for fraternization under certain circumstances, and I believe a relationship between myself and the Commander would fit within the allowable parameters." Seven looked back to Kim. "Is there anything else?"

Kim shrugged. "I don't know Seven. You and the Commander? I just don't see it."

For whatever reason, Ensign Kim's objections had the opposite effect. It solidified in Seven's mind even more the choice for her first date. Commander Chakotay was an intriguing individual. She touched the controls and the screen went blank. "Thank you Ensign. I've made my decision."

#

Commander Chakotay entered Astrometrics at his usual time. He liked to make the rounds to the various sections near the end of the day shift instead of receiving the reports via the comm. It was a daily ritual and he rarely deviated from his set schedule. Seven turned crisply, the PADD with her Astrometrics report already extended towards his outstretched hand.

"Anything unusual?" he asked with a smile. It was one of three greetings he typically used when nothing specific was going on, but not the most common. He would usually first ask a variant of how Seven was doing, and Seven would respond she was fine, and then he would follow with a more specific question or direction. With today's variant, he would eventually ask about her well-being. He was thoughtful in that way. Seven was prepared for any contingency.

"We are still monitoring the category two nebula discovered last week and did detect the possibility of a class-M planet orbiting one of the stars."

"That is unusual," Chakotay agreed.

"I thought so as well," Seven replied. She smiled to herself. They did share an interest in astronomy, after all. "My analysis, however, indicates a diversion from our course back to the Alpha Quadrant once we are finished with the Kadi trade agreement is unwarranted at this time. It's all covered in today's report."

"Is there something else we could do on our present projected course that would facilitate confirming your analysis?"

"Continued monitoring during the next week once we get back underway should clear things up."

Chakotay was glancing at the PADD and nodded. "I'll take a look and show your findings to the Captain when she gets back." He then looked up and added, "Everything else going okay with you?"

"I am doing fine, Commander. Thank you."

"Very good. Inform me immediately if there's a change in your analysis about that planet."

He was turning to leave when Seven interrupted him. She had decided their daily routine would offer the perfect opportunity to address the matter of arranging a mutual engagement. "Commander. A moment if you please."

Chakotay turned back. "Of course."

Seven stepped closer to Chakotay. "Your presence is … requested, tonight. Nineteen hundred hours. Holodeck two."

A mixture of curiosity and confusion crossed Chakotay's face. "What's going on? Is there another engineering simulation I wasn't told about?"

"Dinner," Seven replied.

Chakotay's expression changed subtly from uncertainty to one more of interest. "Are you asking me to join you for dinner?"

"That is correct. Specify your response."

Now Chakotay was smiling, but he seemed at a loss for something to say. Seven became alarmed he might raise similar objections as Ensign Kim about their difference in age or feel his position as First Officer would preclude such a relationship.

"Our relative age does not concern me," Seven stated.

"Oh?" That appeared to catch him by surprise. Seven pressed on.

"I have also consulted the appropriate Star Fleet regulations," she continued. "Fraternization is permissible when the superior officer in question has no direct influence on promotion and there is no actual or perceived opportunities for special treatment as compared to others in the chain of command. In our circumstances here on _Voyager_ , that is clearly the case."

This elicited a broader smile and perhaps even a subdued laugh. Seven decided she successfully defused the impasse or possibly misinterpreted Commander Chakotay's original expression all together. "Sounds like fun," he finally said.

"So your answer is in the affirmative?"

"See you in holodeck two."

"Very good," Seven replied, and then added, "Please be punctual."

Chakotay nodded. "See you then," he said and turned again to leave.

Seven nodded back satisfied as the doors slid shut behind him. That wasn't so bad. The Doctor's instructions and her own research indicated that asking someone out on a first date was often difficult and uncomfortable, but that seemed to go very efficiently. She returned to her Astrometrics station confident the upcoming dinner would go just as smoothly.


	2. The First Date

Chapter 2 – The First Date

Seven of Nine entered sickbay. The Doctor was examining the results of a test on a circular specimen chip and seemed overly pleased with himself. "Please state the nature of the medical emergency," he said cheerily as he placed the chip back into its tray and turned to face Seven.

"I have a date," Seven replied.

The Doctor smiled. He seemed genuinely pleased with her progress with the social lessons over the last couple of days. "Who did you end up asking?" he inquired.

"Commander Chakotay."

The Doctor's smile was quickly replaced by one of concern. In fact, Seven would almost classify his expression as a frown. "Commander Chakotay? Whatever made you choose our First Officer for your first date?"

"After reviewing the crew manifest, he seemed like a desirable and logical choice," Seven responded matter-of-factly.

The Doctor shook his head. Something was clearly troubling him and Seven wondered what his concern might be. "I don't know Seven," he said haltingly. "You and the Commander?"

"Clarify," Seven said. When the Doctor didn't answer right away, she became irritated. It was evident he didn't have a specific objection after all. "Curious. Ensign Kim had a similar reaction to my choice. What exactly is wrong with my dating Commander Chakotay?"

The Doctor appeared on the verge of saying something, but then changed course. "There's nothing wrong," he finally said. It was just as well, for Seven was now determined to follow through with her date regardless of any objections. The Doctor then nodded. "I'm sure the date will go perfectly. Will we proceed with the planned arrangements?"

Seven nodded back and turned to leave. "I will see you tonight at nineteen hundred hours in holodeck two."

#

Evidently, the Doctor wasn't satisfied with simply meeting at the holodeck. At eighteen hundred hours and fifty minutes, the Doctor entered Cargo Bay Two. It would have been nice if he had signaled first. One of the disadvantages of having a cargo bay as your quarters. "You're meeting with him in ten minutes, Seven. Why aren't you ready?" He appeared perturbed. In fact, Seven noted he often appeared this way.

"I am," Seven said and returned to her work. She had plenty of time to complete this task and make it to the holodeck before the required time.

The Doctor, however, had something else on his mind. "Aren't we forgetting something? Lesson eight, Dress for Success."

Ah yes, the Doctor's social lessons. He was taking her education very seriously. "My appearance is sufficient."

"Sufficient, yes, but you could use a little more panache. Let's start by doing something different with your hair." The Doctor unfastened the pleat holding her hair back. For whatever reason the feel of when her hair moved as she did was distracting, and so she preferred to keep it up. The Doctor attempted to arrange her hair without much luck. "I don't have much first-hand experience with this, but, try shaking your head a little bit." 

Seven's blonde hair cascaded down to her shoulders as she shook her head once slightly. "Is this more appropriate?"

The Doctor approved. "Yes." He started to move towards one of the cargo bay's control stations. "When I first designed your dermaplastic garment I also tried my hand at some casual attire. You might want to replicate one of these." Seven moved over to look at the selection of garments he pulled up on the display. There were several options, all of them quite unfamiliar to Seven.

"How shall I choose?"

"I think you'd look very nice in this one," the Doctor replied pointing to one on the display.

Seven studied it more closely. The Doctor had pointed to a long-sleeve deep lavender colored dress that extended to above the knee. A length and wouldn't expose any other of her Borg components. If the Doctor thought it was more appropriate, she should defer to his judgement. "I am uncertain how to wear such a garment," she finally said, "Assist me." She turned to start removing her biosuit.

The Doctor backed away. "Oh, I, I, I'm sure you'll manage. I'll go prepare the Holodeck. Remember, the idea is to have fun tonight. I'll expect a full report in the morning." He was out of the cargo bay and gone.

Although the Doctor was simply a collection of algorithms programed to simulate human behavior, and strictly speaking he had no real gender, obviously his programming was sufficient to elicit such a response. Indeed, Seven did think of him as a male and she should have known better than to make such a suggestion. If these social lessons were to be successful, she needed to become more conscious of these things.

As it turned out, replicating the dress and fitting into it was not as complicated as she thought it would be. Unfortunately, it did take up the remaining time before the scheduled dinner, and so she was unable to complete her Astrometrics sensor evaluation before the requisite time. At a brisk pace, she was able to reach the entrance to Holodeck Two with a couple of minutes to spare.

Commander Chakotay was already at the entrance waiting for her and Seven noted with some humor that he was still in his own uniform. He was smiling broadly as she approached. "Seven, you look absolutely lovely," he said.

Ah, one of the Doctor's previous social lessons suggested returning a compliment when one is given. Seven was about to tell the Commander that he looked lovely as well, but found she was unable to articulate it. A very strange sensation. To Seven, an uncomfortable amount of time passed, although it was actually only a few seconds. Finally she managed, "Thank you."

At least the Commander was still smiling. In fact, he didn't seem to notice the faux pas and turned towards the holodeck entrance. The door opened and they entered the already active program. It was Tom Paris' Chez Sandrines program. They stepped down a short set of stairs, and after a quick scan, Commander Chakotay led the two of them to an empty table. He pulled out one of the chairs and Seven sat down in it. She had been prepared for that possibility. Commander Chakotay sat down across from her and looked about the room. His survey stopped suddenly when he saw who was there with them playing the piano. He must not have noticed before.

"It appears the Doctor is our entertainment for the evening," he said with a smirk.

Seven glanced over to the Doctor and the Doctor nodded back. She turned back and said, "I apologize Commander. The Doctor has been giving me social lessons and I asked him to observe. I am currently on lesson ten."

Commander Chakotay dismissed the apology with a wave of his hand. "I don't mind," he replied. "I must admit, I was surprised by your invitation. And please, we're on a dinner date. Call me Chakotay."

"Of course. Chakotay."

"So I'm lesson ten?"

Seven nodded. He seemed amused by this. She quite enjoyed the dimples that formed on the corners of his mouth when he was about to smile. "My first date," Seven clarified.

Chakotay nodded thoughtfully. "Thank you Seven," he replied. "I feel honored."

That was unexpected, but… nice.

"What made you decide to start these social lessons in the first place?" Chakotay asked, not giving her time to respond to the first comment.

"It was the Doctor's suggestion," Seven answered. "Although the Captain suggested as much as well. There was a… misunderstanding about some research I was conducting."

"I heard about the incident in the mess hall," Chakotay said.

Seven should have known the particulars had reached the First Officer's ears. As she told the Doctor the other day, the crew could be very efficient at disseminating information when they choose to be. Needless to say, by tomorrow morning there would be those who would undoubtedly be speculating about her date with Chakotay Seven didn't want to explain why she had collected thirty thousand gigaquads of information on the subject, so she picked up her menu and motioned for Chakotay to do the same. "We should examine the menu so we are ready to specify our choice of nutritional biomatter for when the waiter arrives."

Chakotay picked up his menu and looked over the selections. "What would you suggest?" he asked.

Seven shifted in her seat. "I do know the names of all of the food items in _Voyager_ 's replicator database, but my pallet is very limited," she confessed, "So I don't have a great deal of firsthand experience to offer a recommendation."

"You don't sample the various options or Mister Neelix's creations?"

"No," Seven responded. "I prefer to eat alone in the cargo bay."

"Evidently not always, to my advantage," Chakotay added with a wink.

Another compliment, but how to deliver a compliment in return eluded Seven. She scanned the menu quickly. "From what I have observed of your choices in the mess hall, however, perhaps one of the garden salads listed on the top left portion of the menu would suffice."

Chakotay nodded approvingly and just then a holographic waiter came up to the table. Chakotay turned to Seven, but Seven motioned for him to order first. Chakotay studied the menu for a moment more and then said "I'll take the salad with the house dressing, but could you add some broccoli and bleu cheese crumbles as well. And a bowl of lentil soup."

The waiter turned to Seven. The Doctor had suggested she order the same thing as her date back during lesson five. At the time, she hadn't really thought about it, but now she realized she had forgotten to look over the menu to pick an alternative for herself. "The same for me as well," she said while folding up the menu and handing it to the waiter.

The waiter nodded and moved away. Chakotay lifted the neck of a bottle of champagne that was next to their table in an elevated bucket of ice. "Would you care for some?"

"Synthehol impairs my cortical function. Water will suffice," Seven replied stiffly.

Chakotay let the bottle fall back into the ice. "I think I'll stick to water as well," he said. He seemed distracted and thoughtful for some reason, and the interaction elicited a frown.

Seven became concerned. "Have I said something inappropriate?"

Chakotay shook his head. "Oh no. I was just thinking about the Kadi ambassador. I saw him in the mess hall earlier indulging in a great deal of food and drink. Neelix must have served him a dozen different dishes. I'm a little concerned, given the restrictions that were given us, but have been staying out of it to let Neelix handle all of the details."

This was apparently the initiation of small talk as studied in lesson three, and so Seven felt a response was required. "I am sure Mister Neelix has things well in hand."

"I'm sure you're right," Chakotay replied. "It appears, however, the ambassador might be getting a little carried away." He again seemed to be thinking of something else and when he noticed Seven looking at him said. "I was just remembering a story I was told as a child."

"On the colony world you grew up on. Dorvan Five."

"That's right."

Seven had studied Chakotay's Star Fleet record. There was much to admire about the man. "Please tell me this story," Seven said encouraging. This would allow her to employ two of the Doctor's social lessons. Lesson three, Getting to Know You, and the associated lesson four, Active Listening.

Chakotay leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin. "It's been a while since I've told someone a story, let alone think about this one. I might be a bit rusty."

Seven took a sip of water. "I would very much like to hear it, if you are willing to indulge me."

"Well, let me see," he began and looked off to the side. "Are you familiar with Coyote?"

"Canis latrans. A canine species native to North America on Earth."

"Yes, but I mean the Coyote of myth. The trickster Spirit of Native American stories."

"I am unfamiliar with this individual," Seven replied. "Is knowledge of him pertinent to understanding the details of the story from your youth?"

"Perhaps not," Chakotay agreed and again rubbed his chin as he recollected the story. "Okay. The story is called Coyote and the Nasty Cardassian."

Seven raised an eyebrow. "Devised after Earth's First Contact, no doubt," she commented.

"Probably from the time when my world was first colonized," Chakotay said with both mirth in his eyes and a twinge of what appeared to be sorrow. "Anyway,

"One morning Coyote and his friend Iktome encountered an unfamiliar creature in the new land they had settled. The Great Mystery had told them there would be many such creatures and to make an effort to get to know each of them better when they got the chance. So far, although the ways and customs of many of these new creatures were strange and different, all were affable. The Great Mystery had warned them, however, that not all creatures were friendly and to be wary.

"'Cousin," Coyote said to Iktome, 'let us go and welcome this new creature to our land.'

"But Iktome was cautious. This new creature was building a fence around a plot of land. In the center of this land was a house he had also built. And nearby he was damming the waters of the stream to fill his fenced in land and supply his house. 'I don't know cousin,' Iktome replied. 'This may be a creature the Great Mystery warned us about.'

"'Nonsense,' Coyote said and walked up to the new creature's fence. 'Hello neighbor,' he called out. 'Come meet me and my cousin Iktome.'"

"The new creature must be the Cardassian," Seven interrupted.

Chakotay nodded. "It's not a very sophisticated story," he admitted. He picked up his water and took a sip.

Seven became concerned she may have discouraged him somehow. "I apologize for interrupting. Please continue."

Chakotay set his water glass back down and leaned in a little closer. "So, when the new creature heard Coyote, he turned with a jolt and put up his fists. After a short time of looking the two of them over, the new creature cautiously approached Coyote and Iktome. 'What do you want?' the creature asked.

"'To get to know you and your ways and your customs better,' Coyote responded. 'What are you called?'

"'I am a Cardassian and this is my land and my house,' he responded.

"'I am Coyote and this is my cousin Iktome. Tell us of your ways. What do you like to drink neighbor?' Coyote asked, for it was one of his pleasures in life to drink a sweet tea or frothy fermentation with friends.

"'Here," the Cardassian said and gave Coyote a cup a thick hot liquid. Coyote tasted it. It tasted of the harbor and was hard to swallow. The Cardassian laughed at Coyote.

"'What do you like to eat neighbor?' Coyote asked, hoping perhaps the newcomer's food would be more to his taste for he also loved to sample the variety of fruits and nuts and roots that nature offered.

"Here," the Cardassian said and gave Coyote a bowl with a green meat in a white broth. Coyote tasted it. It tasted of the soil and was hard to swallow. The Cardassian laughed again at Coyote.

"'What do you like to do neighbor?' Coyote asked, hoping it might be to play games or ask riddles as was the favorite pastime of Iktome and himself.

"'To be left alone and not to be bothered,' the Cardassian replied, and moved off to his house and slammed the door shut. Coyote and Iktome were not welcome inside.

"The two friends decided that the Cardassian was the creature the Great Mystery had warned them about. That night, Coyote and Iktome added logs to the Cardassian's dam and let the water inside the Cardassian's house to bother him instead."

Seven blinked her eyes when the story was finished. Chakotay must be a skillful story teller for she had been drawn in to listening to his every word. Chakotay was looking at her, as if waiting for a response. She should have paid more attention to the Doctor during lesson six, Beguiling Banter. She wasn't entirely sure how the story connected to the Kadi ambassador. Perhaps it was related to the sampling of drink and food that Chakotay had alluded to. Or rather, perhaps that is the reason why it came to Chakotay's mind. Seven did know that Chakotay's colony world was close to Cardassian space, and given the 'lesson' of the story, undoubtedly relations with the Cardassians were strained when he was growing up. It was past time for a response. "Not very flattering to the Cardassians," Seven finally said.

Chakotay laughed. "I suppose not," he said, but then turned more serious. "It's hard, knowing it's all now gone."

Of course. Seven belatedly recalled some of the details of the information they received from the alpha quadrant during those data streams through the Hirogen sensor web. That was the reason Chakotay appeared earlier to both smile and seem sad at the same time. The Cardassians, with the aid of a new ally, had finally crushed the remaining resistance on Dorvan Five. Her comment might be construed as insensitive. She was about to apologize for her transgression when the food arrived. The waiter placed both the salad and soup in front of each of them and then topped off their water glasses.

"Thankfully not Fish Juice and Zabu Stew," Seven said instead when the waiter left, trying to lighten the mood.

This seemed to catch Chakotay by surprise. He smiled and nodded back, and again Seven found this simple interaction enjoyable. When she initiated these social lessons, she looked upon them as tasks to accomplish, a checklist to complete. She now realized that it wasn't necessarily the completion of the task that mattered, but rather the interaction and enjoying the company of the other person. Chakotay lifted a spoonful of the lentil soup, but before putting it in his mouth, he said, "Okay, so now it's your turn. Let's hear a story from you."

Seven became anxious. "I have no stories to tell," she said with growing alarm.

"This is very good," Chakotay said, referring to the soup and ignoring her objection. "You should try some."

Seven tentatively picked up her spoon and tried some of the soup. It was rather bland, although perhaps a bit tastier than the nutritional supplements she often ate.

They both had a few more spoonfuls before Chakotay spoke again. "I'm not letting you off the hook," he said, whatever that meant. "I'd like to hear a story you remember from when you were a little girl."

"I'm uncertain if I can comply," she said hesitantly.

"Tell me of the colony world where you were born then," Chakotay prompted. "Tendara, wasn't it?"

Seven nodded stiffy. "We left the colony when I was three. I have no memories of it." That wasn't quite true. She had a vague recollection of a thunder storm during the rainy season. Would he be interested in hearing that trivial detail? Chakotay was looking at her expectantly and was now lifting a forkful of the salad to his mouth when his comm badge chimed.

" _Neelix to Commander Chakotay_." Seven noted that Mister Neelix sounded frantic.

"Go ahead," Chakotay responded.

" _Commander. I need your help with the Kadi ambassador_."

"I'm kind of busy right now Neelix. Can this wait?"

" _Commander. This is an emergency. The ambassador left the group while I was showing him the hydroponics bay and now I can't find him anywhere_."

Chakotay put down his fork reluctantly.

"It is quite alright, Chakotay," Seven said. "Duty calls."

"I'll be right there," he said back to Neelix and touched his comm badge to end the connection. He then turned to Seven. "I'm so sorry."

"One of the hazards of dating the First Officer," Seven commented.

Chakotay lingered as he digested what Seven had said and then stood up. "I was having a wonderful time," he said. "Next time I'll make sure I dress more appropriately and we'll turn our comm badges off." He smiled and then made his way up the stairs of Chez Sandrines and out of the holodeck.

The Doctor was over at Seven's table before the holodeck doors were closed. "What happened?" he asked with concern.

Seven picked up her own fork. Might as well not let the meal go to waste and she was curious how the salad tasted. "He was called away by Mister Neelix. Something to do with the Kadi ambassador. I think otherwise the evening was going quite well."

The Doctor appeared visibly relieved. "Do you think he'll take you to the Kadi ambassador's reception tomorrow night?" he then asked. He seemed overly eager about the possibility.

Seven sampled the salad. It was actually quite good. She returned her attention to the Doctor. "The subject didn't come up, although he alluded to his desire to perhaps engage in a future date." She took another sip of the soup and felt quite pleased. "I think I'd like that very much as well."

#

Author's note: I had every intention of making this date fail as miserably as the one in the show with Chapman, but then set things right in a later chapter. As I wrote it, however, it didn't turn out that way. Somehow Chakotay started telling another Dorvan V Coyote story and before I knew it things turned out rather well. I have something else in mind now.


	3. The Next Day

Chapter 3 – The Next Day

Chakotay came to Astrometrics a full thirty minutes early the next day.

"You are early," Seven said. Fortunately the daily Astrometrics report was already completed. She picked up the PADD from the corner of the aft station and reached it out to him.

Chakotay accepted the PADD but then immediately placed it off to the side. Instead of any of the usual greetings, he leaning up against the station across from her. "I've got to get ready for the Kadi ambassador's reception and thought I'd stop by early to make sure I had enough time with you."

"Oh?"

"Don't think I've forgotten," he said, leaning back a bit and folded his arms. He seemed amused and pleased with himself.

Today's interaction had taken a curious turn and Seven wasn't exactly sure what he was alluding to. Last night's date had apparently changed the parameters of their relationship. This was uncharted territory for Seven, although she was encouraged by his smile, or perhaps more appropriately, his smirk. Last night Chakotay had asked her to call him by his given name and she had considered the matter carefully. On the surface, it sounded irrelevant, but obviously held some significance to him. "I know we're technically still on duty," she finally said, "and I suppose it's bending the protocols a bit, but would you like for me to call me Chakotay when it's just the two of us?"

Chakotay thought about it for just a moment and nodded. "You did ask me out on a date, after all, and I think I'd like that."

"Very well Chakotay," she responded. "I'm uncertain what I've forgotten that you thought I didn't think you forgot." That was a mouthful. Seven turned her statement over in her mind once more to make sure it made sense.

Chakotay narrowed his eyes. "Your story," he said. "I told you a Coyote story about the nasty Cardassian, and so now it's your turn to tell me a story that you remember from when you were young. I must admit, I've been curious about it all day."

Oh, of course. From their conversation the previous evening. Fortunately she had given that some thought too. Their dinner had been cut short by Mister Neelix's emergency before she had a chance to say anything. "Were you successful in discovering the location of the ambassador?"

"From what we gathered, he was all about the ship. Turns out, he ended up in the holodeck. The Sandrines program was still active. We should have stayed right where we were."

"I must have neglected terminating the program after finishing my meal," Seven replied. "Were you able to eventually finish your meal as well?"

"A disappointing snack in my quarters I'm afraid," Chakotay revealed.

His response hit a chord with Seven. Is that how she felt after ingesting a meal alone in the cargo bay? It was becoming clearer to Seven the benefits of being in the company of others, particularly those whom you were compatible with. Her recent forays into socialization with the crew were proving more and more successful. That reminded her of instances that occurred since the previous evening. "I've had an inordinate amount of attention today due to our date last night," she commented.

"How so?"

"In separate instances here in Astrometrics, in the corridor outside Cargo Bay Two, and in the turbolift when I was leaving the mess hall, Crewman Celes, Crewman Jor and Crewman Henley all engaged me in superfluous conversation with the intent of assessing what transpired last night during our dinner."

"What did you tell them?"

"I provided the requested details and explained we had an enjoyable time."

Chakotay nodded. "That about sums it up."

"I also overheard an interesting conversation between Crewmans Celes and Telfer. They were obviously unaware I could hear them and were engaged in speculation regarding our future relationship and an alleged relationship between you and Captain Janeway."

Chakotay shook his head. "I don't know where these rumors get started," he said exasperated.

"Apparently from the frequency they've observed you and the Captain sharing a meal together in her quarters," Seven responded.

"Tal and Billy should know better," Chakotay replied. He again looked at Seven with narrowed eyes. "But Seven, I do believe you're stalling."

Chakotay's observation wasn't too far from the truth. Seven carefully placed the PADD back down on the aft station and picked up a second PADD and consulted it. There was one more thing she wanted to inquire about. "I was actually conducting research about the story you told me last night and have a few questions first."

Chakotay sighed, but rather than truly being exasperated he appeared to be enjoying himself. "What about?"

"I consulted the ship's database about North American folklore and myths, and in particular, the Trickster Spirit Coyote. I couldn't find a reference to any Coyote story or myth that involved a Cardassian."

He nodded. "I imagine those particular fables were only told on my colony world," he confessed. "There's quite a few of them if you're interested."

"About that," Seven said, softening her voice. At least she hoped it was coming out that way. "It occurs to me that one of my comments last night may have been insensitive given what occurred on your home world. I wish…"

Chakotay interrupted her with a wave of his hand. "I wanted to actually thank you about that."

"Thank me?"

Chakotay paused for a moment. "I haven't thought about my world since we received the Star Fleet data feed and discovered it was destroyed. I've been, avoiding the subject." He looked to the side for a moment, but then turned to face Seven again. "Our conversation last night got me thinking about it again. My family. My people. It's about time I sort through those feelings."

"I would be happy to assist if you think it would help."

"I would like that," Chakotay said, his smile returning. It made Seven more content to see some measure of peace return to his continence and she was happy she suggested it. "Now about your story."

"Just a moment," Seven said, glancing down at the PADD. "I still have some questions to clear up about your narrative. Coyote's friend, this Iktome, appears to be a spider. It seems highly unlikely that a coyote and a spider could be cousins or friends, let alone play games with one another."

Now Chakotay laughed out loud. Seven felt pleased with herself that she was able to elicit such a response. "I guess Iktome is a very big spider," he said. "But don't think you're wiggling out of telling me a story with all these questions. I have plenty of time."

Seven paused, imaging how she might achieve such a feat by twisting and bending. She placed the PADD back down with the first. The rest of her questions could wait. "Very well. In fact, last night before regenerating, I did prepare myself with a story in case you asked. A story from a picture book I vaguely recollected from before my assimilation, possibly even from before my family left Tendara. I consulted the ship's database to familiarize myself again with the images and narrative."

Chakotay stepped closer and again leaned on the console between them. There was eagerness and anticipation in his eyes and Seven hoped she was up to the task. She should have prepared several options, but this was the only one she could clearly remember as being something from when she was a small girl, and that is what Chakotay had requested.

"It is about a caterpillar," Seven began. "A very hungry caterpillar that hatches from an egg one evening. On successive days she starts to eat through various forms of biomatter, although none of it was actually the correct dietary material for a caterpillar. On the sixth day, the caterpillar was still hungry, and so ate through a variety of other foodstuff and confections, but again, the nourishment was more suitable to Homo sapiens than a larvae of a member of the Lepidoptera order. This made the caterpillar ill. On the subsequent day, the caterpillar finally consumed biomatter consistent with her genome, and by this point, had become rather large and at last not hungry anymore. The caterpillar then encased herself into a chrysalis."

At this point Seven paused. "As a young child, I was unfamiliar with the process of metamorphosis, and so what happens next was most extraordinary and my parents had to explain it to me in detail. Perhaps this is why I remember it so clearly after all this time."

"The caterpillar emerges from its chrysalis and has transformed into a beautiful butterfly," Chakotay finished.

Seven nodded. She was surprised to see that Chakotay appeared mesmerized by this short account. "I know it's simple, but you did request a story from my childhood, and this is one I remembered."

Chakotay was looking at her in a way that made her both excited and uncomfortable. A combination of sensations that she was unfamiliar with separately, let alone together. The feeling of being in uncharted territory became even more pronounced. Perhaps she should have consulted with the Doctor and practiced additional social lessons before meeting with Chakotay a second time.

"Seven," he finally said. The way he intoned her name was quite unlike any other instance of someone addressing her. At least that is how she heard it. "Are you planning to attend the Kadi ambassador's reception this evening?"

"I try to avoid such gatherings when I can," Seven confessed.

Chakotay nodded. "I wish I had that option." He continued to turn something over in his head. "Would you care to attend the reception with me?"

That sounded promising. In fact, the Doctor had pressed her to attend earlier in the day, to the point of even suggesting she ask Chakotay out again. He was most adamant about it. This turn of events was even better. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"Yes. I believe I am."

"Then I accept. What attire would be appropriate? The Doctor has designed several other garments I could choose from if last night's selection was satisfactory."

"It was more than satisfactory. You looked beautiful in that dress last night." Chakotay thought for a moment. "However, the reception is an official function and the officers are expected to be in their formal dress uniforms."

"I am not an officer nor do I possess a formal dress uniform."

Again Chakotay was thinking. She could see it clearly in the way his eyes took on an unfocused look. "I think it's about time you get one. You are a member of this crew, the head of Astrometrics, and you participate in the senior staff meetings. I think it appropriate for you to be representing _Voyager_ in a dress uniform at the ambassador's reception."

"I am not a member of Star Fleet," Seven reminded him.

"Technically, nor am I."

Seven considered his request. "Truth be known, I've often wondered why it is only Mister Neelix and myself who have not been assigned Star Fleet uniforms."

Chakotay shrugged. "I suppose it's because the two of you have no prior connection to Star Fleet."

"There are several former Maquis members with no ties to Star Fleet that nonetheless are expected to wear a uniform," Seven countered.

"I can't argue with that," Chakotay concluded. "And I don't have a good answer. Can you replicate a uniform from the same material as your biosuits?"

"That shouldn't be a problem. What rank insignia should I use?"

Chakotay chuckled. "I'm not sure what the Captain would say if I were to promote you in her absence." He seemed to consider this some more and added, "Perhaps the best option would be the Maquis insignia we use. That's something I can do. I will make you an honorary member of the Maquis."

Seven nodded satisfied. "That would be sufficient. Very well, Chakotay. I will replicate a dress uniform and attend the Kadi ambassador's reception with you this evening."


	4. The Kadi Ambassador's Reception

Chapter 4 – The Kadi Ambassador's Reception

Seven's communicator chirped. The badge was sitting on the control panel next to the new uniform, boots, and Maquis rank insignia she had just replicated. " _Chakotay to Seven_."

"Go ahead."

" _I'm just outside. It appears that the cargo bay doesn't have a door chime. Is it safe to come in_?" There was some mirth in his voice.

"You may enter," she said and pivoted to face the entrance.

The door slide open and Commander Chakotay stepped in. He was in his Star Fleet dress uniform. Red for command while Seven was going to wear green intended for medical and science officers. Upon seeing him, she realized, in addition to their apparent intellectual compatibility, she was physically attracted to Chakotay. The momentary distraction in inhibited her ability to initiate a greeting.

Chakotay stepped up with a broad smile. "Good evening," he said.

"You are early," Seven replied. "I am not yet ready."

Chakotay nodded. "I can see that, but I'm not all that early. I believe others have already started gathering in the mess hall."

Seven picked up the new uniform and boots and glanced about the cargo bay. Typically she was the only one who was ever here and she would change in front of her alcove. Gauging the Doctor's reaction from the previous day, however, she decided it would be appropriate to be more discrete. Some large cargo containers off to the side offered ample privacy. "I will be just a minute," she said and moved behind the containers. As she undressed, it occurred to her it might be awkward for Chakotay to be waiting in silence. A detail from one of the Doctor's lessons. She recalled something from the end of the shift in Astrometrics and decided to initiate a conversation during the interval. "Chakotay. Do you recall the nebula we are monitoring and discussed yesterday?"

She could hear Chakotay's feet shift, probably to face the direction of the cargo containers. "The one with the possible M-class planet."

"Yes. I believe we have confirmed that indeed there is at least one M-class planet embedded within." The dress uniform was in one piece, similar to her boisuits, and so she slipped into it quickly and fastened it up the front and side.

"How so?"

"At the end of the day shift, we intercepted a partial subspace transmission from the nebula. Tracing it back to the source, it came from the fourth planet about one of the stars. We're attempting to decrypt the transmission now. It will be in tomorrow's report." Seven buttoned up the collar and then leaned over to put on the black boots.

"Perhaps we'll divert our course after all."

Seven had finished dressing. She looked down at her green Star Fleet dress uniform. It was fabricated from the same material as her biosuits and was comfortable enough. She didn't care too much for the high collar, however, but otherwise it fit rather well. She had decided to keep her hair up as per her usual habit while on duty, and all in all, she thought it worked quite nicely. She stepped out from behind the cargo containers and returned to where Chakotay was waiting.

"That looks great. Fits you perfectly."

"Thank you," Seven said. She then had a sudden inspiration. "Do you think it's too late to go Andorian ice fishing on the holodeck instead?" Chakotay smiled. She was practicing the art of humor, a recurring theme in many of the Doctor's social lessons, and was pleased with Chakotay's response.

"No such luck I'm afraid," Chakotay said. "Neelix is nearly frantic about the ambassador's behavior and I promised I would attend the reception. Although I'll take a rain check on the trip to Andoria."

"Perhaps a snow check would be more appropriate," Seven replied. She decided she required more practice with humor, but Chakotay continued to smile broadly so perhaps her pun wasn't as bad as she thought. Seven affixed her communicator and then picked up the Maquis pip and handed it to Chakotay. "Assist me," she said. Chakotay took just a moment to place the pip in the right location on Seven's uniform. "What exactly is the significance of this rank insignia?" Seven asked. "Is it Maquis?"

"Well, yes and no. When the Star Fleet and Maquis crews first combined four and a half years ago, I agreed with the Captain that we all would wear the same Star Fleet uniforms, but I also wanted to keep some symbol to hold onto our Maquis past. Something to remind us of who we were. Who we are." He touched the pip on his collar. "Nothing elaborate, and not that noticeable I suppose, but considering all that has happened and what we've recently learned from the alpha quadrant, I'm glad we have it."

"I am pleased to be in such good company," Seven replied. She consulted the chronometer on the nearby console and added, "I believe now it is the correct time for us to go."

Chakotay nodded and the two of them moved towards the door. "What made you think of ice-fishing on Andoria?" Chakotay asked as the door dutifully detected their approach and opened, and they stepped out into the corridor.

"Before you arrived, I was examining the selection of available holodeck programs here on _Voyager_ , looking for options of what we might like to do together, and that one caught my eye," Seven responded. "I have actually never experienced an environment with frozen water, at least in my personal experience or recollection."

"So you wanted to see snow?"

"Yes. I know the holodeck will only be a simulation of the actual experience, but it's a start. There is also the prismatic refraction display of Andoria's twin suns when they are rising over the glacial ice fields off the Northern continent that intrigue me."

Chakotay nodded thoughtfully. That did sound interesting. "A classmate of mine at the Academy was an exchange student from the Andorian Imperial College," he mused as they walked together down the corridor. "He used to go on and on about the beauty of Andoria; the tobogganing, ice-fishing and ice-sculpting."

"All apparently very popular activities on Andoria," Seven commented.

"Always sounded too cold for my taste."

"You would of course need a means of staying warm," Seven suggested.

"Now that sounds like it could be fun," Chakotay replied.

Only belatedly did Seven realize a possible implication of her suggestion. She glanced over to Chakotay and he was smiling back at her. She imagined Chakotay holding her tightly to stay warm. "I was referring to a hot beverage," Seven got out, trying to put aside the other thought. "Hot chocolate, perhaps."

Chakotay shrugged but continued to smile. Or maybe it was a smirk given the context. It was a short walk to the mess hall and they went the rest of the way in a comfortable silence. When they entered, the festivities were already in full swing. There were some hors d'oeuvres laid out and drinks being served. About two dozen of _Voyager_ 's officers and crew were already there. The senior officers were expected to stay for most of the time while the junior officers and crewmen could come and go at intervals throughout the evening.

Chakotay and Seven entered the room and passed near Tom Paris and the Kadi ambassador. Tom appeared to be telling the ambassador jokes and the ambassador was laughing loudly. A bit too loudly. Neelix was at the ambassador's elbow trying desperately to divert his attention. The ambassador was holding what appeared to be two synthaholic beverages, one in each hand.

Chakotay turned to Seven with a look of concern. "Does it appear as if the guest of honor is already drunk?"

Seven glanced briefly in the ambassador's direction and then nodded. "He is most definitely intoxicated."

Chakotay frowned. The ambassador had appeared the same way the day before. From what Chakotay knew of the Kadi, this was neither expected nor desirable. "Excuse me for a moment Seven," he said and moved over to where Mister Neelix was standing.

Seven turned and surveyed the rest of the room. She noticed Crewmans Billy Tefler and Celes Tal in the corner looking in her direction. Tal occasionally worked in Astrometrics and smiled at Seven in greeting. Seven nodded back, wondering what she might say if the two decided to come over and strike up a conversation. She didn't notice B'Elanna Torres step up until the Chief Engineer was beside her. B'Elanna raised an eyebrow and gestured to Seven's uniform with the glass mug in her hand. "Seven, you're looking sharp this evening. A science officer's uniform."

"Commander Chakotay thought it appropriate for me to be in uniform at the ambassador's reception."

"I see you're now a member of the Maquis as well," B'Elanna said with a smile, noticing the elongated pip on Seven's uniform. "Not many of us left I'm afraid," she added with an edge of both anger and sorrow. She took a sip of the drink she was holding, and Seven noted it was a Raktajino and not syntheholic. A wise choice. She might sample one as well.

"An honorary member," Seven corrected, and understanding B'Elanna's feelings about the relatively recent news concerning the fate of the Maquis in the alpha quadrant and thinking back to what Chakotay said in the cargo bay added, "The Maquis may now be small in number and the original cause no longer relevant, but the spirit of the Maquis lives on with those here on _Voyager_."

B'Elanna nodded slowly. Was this the same Seven of Nine she interacted with the other day? She sounded the same, and yet was totally different. B'Elanna kept what she was thinking to herself.

Chakotay stepped back up to the two of them and placed his arm casually on Seven's shoulder for a brief instant. Seven almost felt an electric shock course through her body, although she knew it was entirely in her imagination. "Are you two getting along?" he said, knowing the recent trouble Seven had caused with her 'anthropological' observations of B'Elanna and Tom in this very room. The thought of it put a smile back on his face.

B'Elanna's eyes shifted back and forth between Chakotay and the place on Seven's shoulder where his hand had briefly rested. "We're getting along just fine," she said, the wheels in her head clearly turning. "How are things going with you?"

"Perfect," Chakotay responded. Seven felt a sharp pain in her ocular implant and reached her hand up suddenly. Chakotay turned to her. "Are you okay?"

The pain was gone as quickly as it came. "I'm fine," she said and lowered her hand. She noticed that B'Elanna was still looking at them curiously and Seven surmised she must be interested in the apparent new parameters of the relationship between Chakotay and herself. Knowing this crew, speculation was undoubtedly already rampant and had simply not yet reached the ears of the Chief Engineer. "Chakotay and I are dating," Seven said for clarification.

"Oh?" B'Elanna replied, her eyebrows again raised significantly. "Didn't you only just have dinner together last night?"

"It was a very nice dinner," Chakotay offered with a grin.

"Technically, this reception is our second date, although perhaps it doesn't qualify as a date seeing that it is an official function," Seven explained. "I believe our intentions are, however, to establish more frequent liaisons." She turned to Chakotay and he nodded his agreement.

B'Elanna seemed both puzzled and amused. "Forgive me, but I guess I'd never have put the two of you together," she finally said.

"It was initially a surprise to me as well," Seven confessed. "But from the limited empirical data so far, I believe the match is working out remarkably well. I assure you, Chakotay and I are very compatible with each other."

"I'm sure you are," B'Elanna replied slowly with another sideways glance to Chakotay. Again, only belatedly did Seven realize that her comment might be misinterpreted to imply a more intimate relationship. Chakotay simply shook his head at B'Elanna's innuendo. Seven found herself not alarmed by the implication as well. B'Elanna laughed out loud. "How did all this get started?" she asked.

"The Doctor has been giving me social lessons and my date with Chakotay last night was my first."

"You know, I think I recall Tom saying something about the Doctor's lessons the other day," B'Elanna mused. "I didn't think much of it then, but I guess I was wrong."

There was a bit of commotion near them and they all turned to look.

"Where's the funny man?" the Kadi ambassador was asking. If it was possible, he appeared even more intoxicated than just moments before. Mister Neelix was panicky beside him. It was obviously his worst nightmare come true. The rest of the people in the room glanced over uncomfortably.

"Mister Tomin, please, why don't, why don't we sit down," Neelix said, trying to usher him over to a nearby chair.

The ambassador would have none of it. He suddenly spotted Tom Paris, who was attempting to make his way over to B'Elanna, and cried out, "Oh, there he is, there he is. Ensign Paris, tell us another one of those hologram jokes."

The Doctor had arrived shortly before and was near the entrance to the mess hall. At the mention of hologram jokes, he stepped up closer to Tom and the ambassador. "You've been stealing my material?" he quipped, speaking to Paris but also examining the ambassador to ascertain the reason for his strange behavior.

"That guy's so lubricated he'll laugh at anything," Paris replied to the Doctor, supplying the answer.

The ambassador reached out and drew Mister Paris in closer. "There he is, the Ambassador of humor."

"I could use a little help here," Neelix said desperately. He looked up towards Chakotay. The other conversations in the room had now ceased and all eyes were on the ambassador.

The Doctor moved over quickly to where Chakotay and Seven were standing. "Seven, perhaps now would be a good time to review lesson twenty three, Toast of the Town."

Seven nodded briskly and picked up a glass of champagne that was nearby. "Very well." She went to the middle of the room and tapped her glass. It broke the spell. Those gathered turned to Seven and fortunately the ambassador's attention was diverted as well. "Ladies and gentlemen, I require your attention" she said and then raised her glass. "May cultural differences encourage us to build bridges of understanding. To all that makes us unique."

Everyone applauded lightly and after taking a tiny sip of the drink, Seven returned to her group. The ambassador appeared confused, or transfixed, but at the very least he was quiet. The Doctor's ploy had worked perfectly. Thankfully, conversations again started around the room and some semblance of order was restored.

Tom Paris had finally disentangled himself from the ambassador during the toast and joined the group with Chakotay, Seven, the Doctor and B'Elanna. "That was lovely," he remarked, clearly impressed. Chakotay was grinning as well.

"Thank you." Seven was actually beginning to enjoy herself. It was one thing with just Chakotay. This was the first time she felt comfortable in a social setting with a larger group.

Paris turned to the Doctor who seemed pleased with himself as well. "I've got to admit it, you've done wonders. All right, you win."

Both Seven and Chakotay appeared surprised. "Win?" Seven asked, a bit of uncertainty in her voice.

"I know when I'm licked," Paris continued and then turned back to the Doctor. "You tell me when you want me to start those double shifts."

Seven now appeared angry. "You made a wager regarding me? Clarify."

"What's this all about?" Chakotay added. Beside him, B'Elanna didn't appear too pleased herself.

The Doctor shifted uncomfortably. "It's not what you think."

"Er, don't blame him, it was my idea," Paris interjected.

Seven glanced briefly at Chakotay. Many things were rushing through her head at once. On one level she knew Chakotay had nothing to do with this juvenile behavior, but on another she couldn't help but wonder about his sudden interest in her. Was it all part of the wager? There was another sharp pain in her head, almost as if a switch had been thrown. It made it difficult to think. She turned back to the Doctor, "I believed your interest in my social development was sincere, not motivated by personal gain."

"It was sincere," the Doctor stammered.

Chakotay reached for her arm, but she pulled it away. What if he was in on this wager from the very beginning? The strange pain in her ocular implant was getting worse and her thoughts were muddled. "Clearly I am not the only one who requires social lessons," she managed and moved quickly to the door. All she desired was to get out of there and get away.

The Kadi ambassador stepped in front of her to block her exit. "Hey, why don't we go back to my quarters?" he slurred. Seven could smell the synthahol on his breath. "I've studied human mating rituals," he added suggestively.

Chakotay had been on Seven's heals and stepped between Seven and the ambassador. "That's out of line ambassador," he said harshly.

Seven was in no mood to talk. She took the opportunity to step away from the two of them and went quickly out the door. The pain in her head and ocular implant was increasing. Thoughts of Chakotay conspiring with the Doctor played through her head. Chakotay had asked her out to this reception after the Doctor had been insistent on her attending as well. The Doctor may have simply convinced him to ask her. There was a flood of unfamiliar emotions. She picked up her pace and reached a hand to her head.

"Seven!" Chakotay called from behind her.

"Go away," Seven replied without turning around. She could hear his footsteps running towards her and moved down the corridor, reaching the cargo bay doors before he was able to catch up. She had thoughts of locking the door after entering, but he was through as well before she had the chance.

"Seven," he said again and took her arm to gently restrain her.

She turned to face him, clearly upset. "What did you and the Doctor discuss and plan?" she accused.

"I had no idea about their wager," Chakotay replied. His eyes then widened as he noticed the subtle electrical discharges on her ocular implant. "Seven, what's going on?" He leaned over tentatively to examine the discharges more closely.

"I… I…" Seven started, but then closed her eyes and collapsed. Chakotay caught her and eased her down to the cargo bay floor. The blue electrical discharges still danced on the surface of her ocular implant. There was also a faint buzzing sound and whine coming from the Borg device.

Still cradling Seven, he touched his comm badge with his free hand. She looked so fragile in his arms, something he never expected to see. It took him a moment to form a coherent thought. "Chakotay to the Doctor. Medical emergency in Cargo Bay two!"


	5. Getting it Right

Chapter 5 – Getting it Right

The Kadi ambassador was laying on a biobed in _Voyager_ 's sickbay, clearly intoxicated. His blood-synthehol levels were astronomical and he was currently rocking his head back and forth apparently trying to look everywhere at once. The Doctor and Tom Paris were on either side, Tom to restrain him if necessary. He and Neelix had brought the ambassador to sickbay after the Doctor was called away to attend to a medical emergency with Seven. Apparently the reception had gone from bad to worse and would undoubtedly go down in the _Voyager_ logs as quite the fiasco.

Neelix hovered at the foot of the biobed. "I thought synthehol wasn't supposed to have this effect on people," he said nervously. He was pacing back and forth, clearly agitated. It was his worst fears come true, and on the eve of the Captain's return no less.

"Most people. The enzymes that break down synthehol aren't present in his bloodstream," the Doctor replied frowning.

"Can you counteract the effects?"

"I can synthesize the enzymes, but that'll take days."

"Days?" Neelix replied alarmed. He stopped pacing and stepped towards the Doctor clasping his hands. "The Captain will be back in the morning."

The Doctor glanced over to the nearby biobed where Seven still lay unconscious and shook his head. She had arrived with Commander Chakotay a little over an hour before. He had done some scans and stabilized her cortical node functions, but was troubled by what he had found. He needed to do more scans and isolate the malfunction that must have occurred in the micro-circuitry of the cortical node. Chakotay stood by her. When the Kadi ambassador had first arrived, Chakotay had come over to see what was going on, but had been subdued and soon returned to Seven's side. The First Officer was now either oblivious to the Kadi ambassador's condition or choosing to ignore it, and the Doctor was anxious to return to treating Seven as well.

"Maybe he needs a cold shower," Tom Paris remarked with a mix of humor and disgust.

This nearly pushed Neelix over the edge. "If his superiors find him like this he'll be banished from the colony, and our trade agreement will go right out the airlock." The Doctor couldn't recall seeing _Voyager_ 's moral officer more agitated.

"Where is that Seven of mine," the ambassador slurred continuing to glance about the room. Tom placed a hand on the ambassador's shoulder as he tried to sit up. The ambassador acquiesced quickly enough, perhaps simply unable to hold onto a coherent thought for any length of time.

Mentioning Seven's name, however, gave the Doctor an idea. He narrowed his eyes and then turned to step closer to Seven's biobed. "It may be possible," he began tentatively, "to encode some of Seven's nanoprobes to essentially assimilate the synthehol molecules."

"I don't know," Neelix replied, again stopping his pacing and facing the Doctor. "The Kadi have rules against medical procedures that haven't been sanctified."

"I'd say he's already violated a few rules. What's one more?" Paris said, much to Neelix's annoyance.

"Either we treat him or he remains intoxicated," the Doctor stated plainly.

"Would there be any danger to Seven?" Chakotay asked without looking up. He was not as oblivious to the rest of sickbay as the Doctor had presumed.

The Doctor took this as his opportunity to return to Seven's biobed. He stepped up quickly to stand beside Chakotay. "Not at all Commander," he said. "She would of course have to be conscious and do the nanoprobe programming herself. I think our top priority, in that case, would be to study what happened to her more closely so we can wake her."

Chakotay nodded and then turned to the Doctor. It wasn't exactly late, but the commander looked exhausted, still in his dress uniform from the reception. It struck the Doctor suddenly that Chakotay was genuinely concerned about Seven, more than simply because of his position as First Officer. This despite the fact that their relationship was only just starting. He felt a slight stab of jealousy realizing he had secretly hoped to be in Chakotay's situation.

"Get it done," Chakotay said. "We need to get to the bottom of this. As soon as you know anything, call me immediately. I'm going to my quarters to change and get some rest." The Kadi ambassador was now trying to sing, although the tune and words obviously alluded him. The sound grated on the Doctor's ears, and by the look of it, he could only imagine that Chakotay felt about the same way. Chakotay looked over to Tom and Neelix, clearly losing his patience with the ambassador's antics. "Get him out of here and back to his quarters. Neelix, make sure he doesn't go anywhere."

"Yes sir," Neelix replied, nodding vigorously.

Chakotay then took a deep breath and stepped out of sickbay and towards his quarters.

#

Chakotay's comm badge chirped. He sat up quickly. He had changed out of his dress uniform and into more casual clothing and was sitting in the large chair he used for reading in his quarters. The book he had been reading was beside him on the floor. He glanced at the chronometer, it was 0317 ship time. He figured he must have dozed off and was sleeping for the past few hours expecting the Doctor to have called him sooner. "Go ahead," he said.

" _Commander_." It was the Doctor. " _Please_ c _ome to sickbay. I've completed my diagnostic on Seven's condition_."

Chakotay got up and exited his quarters. He didn't bother to change into his uniform, not wanting to take the time. He moved quickly down the corridor until he reached sickbay. When he arrived, he was surprised to see Seven no longer there and the Kadi ambassador unconscious and presumably resting comfortably back in the other biobed. The Doctor had his hands raised, as if anticipating Chakotay's objections, but Chakotay said it anyway. "I asked you to contact me immediately."

"Seven insisted," the Doctor replied defensively. "There are some… extenuating circumstances."

"Where is she now?"

"I sent her back to the cargo bay to regenerate."

Chakotay started to move back to the door, but then checked himself. If she needed to regenerate, he shouldn't go barging in on her. He had hoped the Doctor would have called him sooner. Besides, it was not as if there was any expectations between the two of them. They had only really just started to get to know one another with only two shortened dates to speak of. Then something else entered Chakotay's thoughts. What did the Doctor mean by extenuating circumstances?

"She asked me to tell you what I discovered," the Doctor offered when Chakotay turned back. "But to keep it strictly between the three of us. Confidential from the Captain and the rest of the crew." He hesitated for a moment, and then added, "And she wanted me to relay to you her wishes."

Chakotay stepped up closer to the Doctor. "Of course. What is it Doctor?"

The Doctor looked down to the floor, as if to gather his thoughts. After a moment, he looked back up. "What Seven experienced was no malfunction," he finally replied. "Her cortical node was designed to shut down her higher brain functions when she achieves a certain level of emotional stimulation."

"Emotional stimulation," Chakotay replied. "You're referring to what happened in the mess hall."

"Yes, the heightened level of emotional stimulation at the reception certainly triggered the event."

Chakotay frowned. "That seems a bit odd. She's certainly had a similar level of emotional stimulation before," Chakotay countered. "Hell, our time in the Delta Quadrant has been one thing after another. We've all had a bit too much emotional stimulation."

The Doctor nodded at first, as if in agreement, but then almost in the same movement shook his head. "Apparently not the specific emotional trigger necessary to activate this protocol within her cortical node. Until now."

"What do you mean?"

"It appears to be a fail-safe mechanism to deactivate drones who start to regain their emotions. Very specific emotions, I believe which may be related to your fledgling relationship with Seven. Knowing the Borg, it makes perfect sense. Finding one's heart is the surest road to individuality."

Chakotay was shaking his head. "She's no longer linked to the hive mind," he said.

"The technology's built into her cortical node. It simply remained dormant, until now. Until the two of you started dating."

Chakotay continued to shake his head, as if this might help in making the problem go away. "Not very effective, don't you think?" he finally commented. "I would say she has already found her individuality quite nicely without the fail-safe triggering in all this time."

"It doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense on the surface," the Doctor conceded. "I suppose we don't know exactly the threats the Collective faces in controlling their drones. Whatever it is, this fail-safe is part of that function."

This was too much. These past couple of days, as he and Seven were getting to know one another, had been thoroughly enjoyable, and now to have this happen. Then it occurred to him why she might have insisted on not being here in sickbay when the Doctor conveyed this news to him, and more importantly, her desires she asked the Doctor to also relay. "What were her wishes?" he asked, but already knew the answer.

"She wants to step back from your relationship until we figure out how to mitigate this issue and find a way to disconnect the fail-safe. I don't think she wanted to be the one to tell you."

Chakotay was surprised with how disappointed he felt. He couldn't imagine just turning off a switch and ending it so abruptly, but of course he would do what was best for Seven. Unfortunately their two dates had ended abruptly each time, and it was sad to think that was all there was. Then Chakotay keyed in on what the Doctor implied with the second part of his response. "Can you do that? Might you be able to disconnect it?"

"I need more time to study my findings," the Doctor said, sounding slightly hopeful. "I've had a lot of experience with Borg technology over the past two years, and so it may be possible for me to reprogram the micro-circuitry. It will probably entail multiple surgeries and it might take some time, but I believe it can be done."

"And so, in the meantime, we have to stop dating," Chakotay concluded. "You say it is our relationship that triggered this fail-safe protocol in the first place and it would be safest if we stay apart." Chakotay wasn't happy with that idea at all, and it was clearly evident in his voice. Hopefully the Doctor was correct in his assessment of being able to disconnect the fail-safe. Until then…

"It might be the safest solution," the Doctor conceded slowly. "But I'm still only in the early stages of my analysis." He seemed to be struggling to find the correct words to say, and Chakotay waited patiently. "I don't like the idea of Seven retreating back into her Borg shell. Her growth in reaching out and interacting with the rest of the crew, including her dates with you, shouldn't be thrown away so easily."

This got Chakotay's attention. "What are you suggesting Doctor?"

"I put a cortical monitor on Seven to alert me if I see any problems," the Doctor replied. "Although she won't readily say it, Seven was frightened by the experience. Her initial instinct is to hide away and avoid any situation that might now trigger the fail-safe, but I'm not sure that's what is best for her."

"Go on" Chakotay encouraged.

The Doctor turned and moved towards an empty biobed, obviously choosing his words carefully. "This might be the time when she needs her friends most of all. Perhaps particularly you, since the two of you seem to have made a connection and get along well. Apparently a certain level of emotional stimulation is tolerable, as you've pointed out, but obviously we need to try and avoid whatever it was that triggered the fail-safe during the events in the mess hall."

"You don't agree that we should step back from our relationship to protect her."

"It might be the safest thing to do," the Doctor repeated, "but I don't think it's the right thing to do. The fail-safe could have shut down Seven's cortical node immediately, but instead it only disabled a subset of its functions, and these functions were restored immediately. Whatever the trigger, I'm certain there will be ample warning if it becomes serious again. More importantly, I think she needs us to be supportive during this time. Particularly you. To work through it together."

Chakotay was nodding. It not only made sense, but was also something he wanted to hear, and so he was eager to agree. Their relationship might have its unique challenges and difficulties to overcome, but what relationship didn't?

"My advice would be to not get too…" the Doctor continued, but then hesitated. It appeared he wasn't quite sure how to put it, and perhaps was even a little uncomfortable. Chakotay appreciated the implications.

"I understand," Chakotay replied. "We'll be careful."

#

Seven's regeneration cycle ended and she stepped out from her alcove. She felt refreshed but still troubled as memories from the previous evening flooded back into her mind. What an unfortunate turn of events. Perhaps dating and social entanglements were an unproductive use of her time anyway. The thought, however, rang hollow. Before she could step off the platform her comm badge chirped.

" _Chakotay to Seven of Nine_."

Seven held her breath for a second. "Go ahead," she finally said.

" _Would it be okay for me to stop by to talk to you about something_?"

Seven's heart began to beat a bit faster. She unconsciously reached her hand up and touched the cortical monitor on her neck, perhaps to check to make sure it was still there. "Did you not talk to the Doctor last night?"

" _I did_ ," Chakotay replied matter-of-factly.

"I'm not sure it would be prudent. I think it might be best if we stop seeing each other socially, at least until my cortical node is repaired."

" _That's what I want to talk to you about_."

What part of not seeing each other did he fail to understand? Seven wondered, although there was a part of her that did want to speak with him. To see him. She couldn't very well avoid him, considering he was First Officer and she usually reported directly to him every day. She touched the cortical monitor one last time and said, "I suppose we could meet during my shift in Astrometrics."

Almost immediately the cargo bay doors opened and Chakotay stepped inside. He was carrying what appeared to be a basket in one hand and he walked over to where Seven was standing. "I just happened to be outside and was thinking now might be a better time," he said with a grin.

"Apparently," Seven replied, sounding slightly annoyed but smiling despite herself.

"How are you feeling?"

"Rested, but still a bit shaken," Seven replied. She looked away. "I'm uncertain if we should continue seeing each other socially. It's unclear what might trigger the Borg fail-safe."

Chakotay sighed. "Look, something last night did trigger the fail-safe, but it was obviously something rather specific. You've had nearly two years on _Voyager_ without any sign of a problem, and we've spent some time together these past couple of days as well with no trouble. We'll figure out the specific issue, and then not let it happen again."

Seven was still on the platform of her alcove, and so Chakotay offered his hand to help her down. Not that she needed help, of course, but she let him help never the less. When she realized they were holding hands, she quickly pulled her hand away. Had he initiated physical contact on purpose? She then noticed the basket in his other hand again. "What is it you have there?" she said, trying to sound irritated but discovered it was difficult to do so.

Chakotay glanced down at the basket and lifted it slightly. "Oh. Well, I was thinking. Our first two dates both ended before we could finish our meal together. I thought we could try again and get it right this time and made us a breakfast for two to eat here."

"I do not need to ingest as much nutritional supplements due to my regeneration sequence each night," Seven replied. "I usually skip breakfast."

"Perhaps today you'll make an exception," Chakotay responded hopefully. "It's past 0900, so we could consider it a very early lunch."

Seven consulted a nearby chronometer. She was usually up much early than this, but had set the regeneration for a longer interval due to the events of the previous evening. "Hasn't your bridge shift already started?" she asked, noticing for the first time that Chakotay was out of uniform.

Chakotay nodded. "Yes, but I asked the Captain to take the day off. She's back, by the way. The Kadi ambassador has left and our trade agreement was executed without incident. Everything's shaping up to be pretty quiet today. By the way, thank you for helping out in the situation with the ambassador."

"The ambassador's behavior was deplorable," Seven said bluntly. The programming and extraction of the nanoprobes was inconsequential, but if it had been left up to her, she would have let him return to the Kadi colony in his inebriated condition and face the consequences. Chakotay appeared equally appalled by the ambassador's hypocrisy and duplicity, which satisfied Seven. How easy it was to fall back into a casual rapport with Chakotay. More so than anyone else on the crew, perhaps even including the Doctor. She realized she was actually feeling hungry, and so decided to take him up on his offer. "I suppose some nourishment would be beneficial," she said as she started to glance around the cargo bay. "I'm not sure where would be the best place to eat…" she added but then her eyes fell upon a small table with two chairs set up near the containers at the far end of the room. She turned to Chakotay with a questioning look.

Chakotay smiled back. "Perhaps over there," he responded and turned to start making his way to the table. Seven crossed her arms and followed closely behind. He was full of surprises today. Somehow he had arranged for the table and chairs to be placed into the cargo bay without interrupting her regeneration cycle. As currently set up, if anyone did arrive unannounced, the computer would end Seven's cycle automatically so she wasn't caught off guard. Had he beamed them in sometime during the night? Seven wondered. A mystery she would have to get to the bottom of in due course.

Chakotay held the chair for Seven as she sat, and then moved to sit across from her. He lifted two plates, utensils, two cups, a thermos, and a food container from the basket and then put the basket onto the floor beside them. "I wasn't exactly sure what you might like," he said as he opened the food container and revealed some pancakes, fresh fruit, and a small cup of what appeared to be maple syrup. As he unscrewed the lid to the thermos, he added, "I brewed some green tea as well for us to drink, but if you would prefer something else, I would be happy and get it replicated for you."

"This will be sufficient," Seven replied and picked up one of the pancakes with her fork and then proceeded to place most of the strawberries from the container on top. She didn't care much for syrup.

Chakotay piled three pancakes onto his plate and then liberally applied the maple syrup. After a few bites, he took a sip of the tea and said, "Now let's talk about last night. It's strange that this is the first time the fail-safe has triggered due to an emotional stimulus. If the Borg was attempting to prevent drones from regaining their individuality, its method isn't very effective."

Seven frowned. "I've had similar thoughts," she confessed. "I wasn't even aware a fail-safe existed, which is also a bit disconcerting. Why it should trigger off emotions related to romance is unclear."

"Perhaps it's not romantic emotions but something related."

"It's difficult to refute that you are the unique change in my life."

"Okay. Even so, the fail-safe wasn't triggered in the two days before last night. Did you have any romantic emotions towards me before that time?"

Seven flashed him a look of annoyance.

"I freely admit to them," Chakotay added. "From the start."

"As do I," Seven conceded.

"Then what? What do you remember?"

Seven paused and finished chewing on a bite of strawberries and pancake. "The Doctor believes it was an emotion particular to our relationship," she finally said. "In thinking it through, there were two instances that come to mind. First, when we were talking to B'Elanna, I had a brief feeling of what must have been jealousy as I considered that B'Elanna knew you so much better than I did."

Chakotay considered this. "Something that can be remedied with time," he finally replied.

Seven nodded. "The strongest and most powerful emotion, however, was when I felt betrayed." She looked down briefly, but then returned her gaze to Chakotay. "When I felt you were part of Mister Paris and the Doctor's wager."

"I had no idea…"

"I know," Seven interrupted. "I knew then as well. But that didn't stop the feelings. It didn't stop the emotions." She sighed and shook her head. "I am unfamiliar with this… situation. These emotions and not being able to fully control them."

Chakotay nodded. "I can imagine that was intense," he said. "You need not worry on that account either. Perhaps concerning both instances, it's more important than ever for us to spend more time together so we don't have a repeat of anything similar."

Again, that sounded reasonable. Of course, it was also something Seven was relieved to hear and wanted to hear. Should she be suspicious of this conclusion because of that? Seven finished eating the last of her strawberries, and yet there was still a little of the pancake remaining. Seeing that Chakotay had not selected strawberries to put on his meal, she decided to put the rest of the strawberries on hers. Chaktotay was sipping on his beverage and Seven desired to get off the topic of the fail-safe and on to something else. "With the day off, what are you planning to do?" she asked with that in mind.

"That depends on you," Chakotay replied. "I've given you the day off as well, if you decide to take it. Ensign Delaney is already in Astrometrics and agreed to take your shift."

"Oh?"

"By the way, I looked at your latest findings from the nebula. We've altered course slightly to move in closer for a new set of scans and those should be done by this afternoon."

"That should provide us all we need to decide if a visit is warranted."

"Exactly. We can stop by Astrometrics later to see how it's going."

We? Seven began to wonder what Chakotay was planning. From the sound of it, the day was going from not seeing him at all to spending all her time with him. "And what were you thinking about doing in the meantime?"

Chakotay shrugged. "I've reserved holodeck one for the rest of the morning. I thought we'd take your suggestion and visit Andoria to see that sunrise."

"The prismatic refraction display," Seven corrected. "The glacial ice fields off the Northern continent are the preferred location."

"There you go. Sounds exciting. We could perhaps even make snow angles."

"Snow angels," Seven repeated intrigued.

Chakotay smiled. "You lay down on a patch of fresh snow and move your arms and legs back and forth. When you get back up, you have a snow angel. The arms look like wings and the legs a flowing robe."

Seven wasn't quite sure how this visual depiction related to these purely spiritual beings purported to exist beyond measure of space and energy. It seemed incongruent to attribute a physical form to something without physical form, although she had to confess she knew little about the subject.

"In some Earth cultures, sometimes angels are depicted in human form with wings and wearing robes," Chakotay added, perhaps noticing Seven's blank look, although he didn't sound quite convinced himself.

"Do you believe in such creatures?" Seven asked.

Chakotay chuckled. "I see no reason to question the existence of angels and demons of pure spirt. The cosmos is chock full of wonders and things we still don't know anything about. As for the wings and robes…" He shrugged and smiled again.

"Have you made snow angles before?"

"Ensign Delaney has shown me some holoimages, but this will be the first time. So what do you say?"

Apparently Chakotay had this day all planned out. From the start he was determined on spending more time with her despite her wishes. In a way Seven was relieved. She wasn't sure what would be best, but did feel better that at least Chakotay would be with her as she navigated through this new trouble. Curious. Was this an unproductive use of her time, she wondered, or was it the most substantial?

Both their meals were now complete. Seven was looking at Chakotay as if considering something. "Hold perfectly still," she finally said, and leaned over the small table to give Chakotay a kiss on the lips. Nothing overly passionate, but sweet with the taste of strawberries and syrup and infinitely meaningful. She pulled back and hesitated for a moment, as if waiting to see if something would happen. Nothing did. No call from sickbay and no indication of a problem from the cortical node. "I'd love to join you."

#

Author's note: Just posted a chapter for Close Quarters. Not quite sure this chapter is exactly the way I want, but I'll get this out as well. I know how I'm going to end this story, but haven't filled in the details in between. Any thoughts on what you'd like to see? Reviews are always welcome.

Thank you scifiromance for catching that mistake! It may be an AU, but I corrected it anyway.


	6. Complication

Chapter 6 – Complication

Chakotay arrived in Astrometrics about fifteen minutes earlier than his usual time, although Seven suspected this new time might become the norm. The previous day, her first "day off" since joining _Voyager_ , had worked out wonderfully. The sunrise on the glacial ice fields of Andoria was as spectacular as advertised in the holoprogram summaries and she and Chakotay had some spirited fun tobogganing in a local competition. A team of their holographic competitors did achieve first place with a combined time just one point four seconds faster than their own, but of course it was their first attempt at the sport. Seven felt confident they would prevail if they ever did try again since their times improved markedly throughout the morning as they learned to work with each other on the turns. Seven was uncertain she cared for the cold, however, thinking their next outing should be to a warmer world.

"Are you thawed out yet?" Chakotay asked, throwing all customary greetings out the airlock.

"I believe the beverage we shared at the end of our visit achieved that quite nicely."

"Hot chocolate," Chakotay clarified.

"Yes." It had been very rich and creamy and triggered a long forgotten memory of a similar drink from a cold day on the colony where she spent her first three years. It was perhaps the smell that was most memorable. Seven knew the signals from the olfactory epithelium were hard-wired to the rest of the brain, including the amygdala that supervised not only the formation of emotional experiences, but also the memory of emotional experiences. It is the reason why smell is oftentimes a potent trigger for memory. Knowing this, and experiencing it firsthand, however, are two different things.

Chakotay nodded. "I still think we should have tried the snow angels," he said. "There was that spot by the lodge with all that fresh snow."

"I believe the snow was much deeper than you thought," Seven replied, imagining Chakotay falling into the deep drift and her having to rescue him. "Besides, as I've just pointed out, we had finally warmed up with the aid of the hot chocolate."

Chakotay laughed and leaned against the railing that separated the central area of Astrometrics from the rest of the space. He didn't seem interested in her daily Astrometrics report just yet, and in fact, she realized she wasn't even holding it for him as was typically the case. There would be time enough for that in a moment. Instead, she was considering what the parameters of their next date might include. It could perhaps be as early as this evening. "I've been researching possible destinations for our next activity," she said. In fact, during a protracted analysis of the scans from the nearby nebula earlier in the morning, she was able to review several possibilities.

"So another adventure on the holodeck?"

Seven nodded crisply. It allowed for a greater variety while also enabling them some measure of privacy. By now, the entire crew was aware of their dating and speculating about its future. Seven wasn't quite ready to arrive at movie night in Chakotay's arms. She wasn't opposed to the idea, but had regulated it for some future time in her mind. "Preferably, someplace warm," she added, recalling her earlier thought.

Chakotay rubbed his chin. "I'll have to give that some thought."

Seven tapped on a nearby control and an image of red planet appeared on the Astrometrics main view screen. The image zoomed to the surface and highlighted a path down and across a deep gorge. "I was considering various sites on Vulcan," she stated. "There is a hike through a region known as the Forge that looks particularly interesting. We could start at the Gateway located at the edge marked there on the map and walk the first several kilometers of the trail."

"I've never been to Vulcan," Chakotay mused, although he didn't sound as excited about the prospect as Seven had hoped. He moved around the railing and came up to stand beside her. Seven tapped on the interface and a new planet replaced that of Vulcan. One half of the sphere appeared molten while the other half appeared to contain large regions covered in ice. The image zoomed up to a ridge along the terminator between the two. "I don't recognize this planet," Chakotay commented.

"Canes Vallera Septum," Seven said. "The planet orbits so close to its sun, it is tidally locked with one hemisphere a giant plain of lava and the other hemisphere in a perpetual deep freeze."

"Sounds lovely," Chakotay said with a smile.

"Amazingly," Seven continued, choosing to ignore his comment for the time being, "there is a habitable zone in the narrow region just beyond the terminator. It is said that the view of the star's corona at some spots on the surface with the glow of the molten sea on the horizon and the backdrop of glaciers in the foreground are quite spectacular."

Chakotay nodded. "I've heard there's an indigenous canine species that is quite ferocious on that planet."

"We could of course not include them in the holoprogram if you'd like," Seven replied. "To get an authentic experience, however, we should still wear breathers due to the thin and slightly toxic atmosphere."

Chakotay laughed, but then raised his hands. "I would love to go to either place with you. Both would be fascinating."

Seven believed he was telling the truth, but also felt these two selections weren't quite right. They could visit a program depicting Earth, of course. Or perhaps he would be happier with a more traditional locale for recreation. She tapped again on the interface to call up another planet. The blue and white swirls covered the entire surface, and as the image zoomed in, slivers of green and tan appeared.

"Risa," Seven said. The zoomed in image now was of an island rimmed by a coral reef with a kaleidoscope of blue and turquoise water. In all likelihood, they would have the entire island to themselves. "Much of the activities on Risa revolve around water."

"Not all of the activities," Chakotay replied.

Seven smiled despite herself. "The activities we would be involved in," she clarified. "Just as I had never seen snow before yesterday, I'm afraid I've never been swimming either."

"You'll be a natural," Chakotay assured her. He seemed enthused about this prospect. "And I'll teach you."

"You will teach me to swim?"

"Of course. I don't know what _you_ were thinking, but what I meant is that we could also just go for a walk along the beach. Go sea shelling or tide pooling. There's all sorts of things for us to do."

Strangely enough, the notion of those things and also learning to swim vaguely appealed to her. How comfortable she had become with Chakotay in such a short time. In her research, she had read about "love at first sight" and "falling in love". The changes in brain chemistry were well documented – increases in adrenaline and dopamine with a corresponding decrease in serotonin in the early stages of attraction, the latter also associated, interestingly enough, with obsessive-compulsive impulses. She wasn't quite sure what love would feel like, but she did feel both contented and captivated with their relationship. Perhaps it would be nice to experience the tropical climate of Risa with him. The comm interrupted their planning and her thoughts.

" _The Doctor to Seven of Nine_."

Seven's smile turned slightly. "Go ahead."

" _Could you please come to sickbay? I have some additional analysis results I need to speak with you about_." He sounded troubled.

Chakotay picked up on the Doctor's tenor right away. "Is there a problem Doctor?" he asked.

" _You should come too Commander_."

Their planning would have to wait. Seven switched some of the Astrometrics controls to automated, and then the two of them left together for sickbay. The Doctor was sitting at his desk when they arrived, but stood quickly and moved out into the main part of sickbay to meet them. The three of them were the only ones there.

"What is it Doctor?" Seven asked.

"I've been reanalyzing the results of the scans I took of your cortical node functions from the other day, and compared them with older scans I have on file. I'm afraid I've discovered something alarming."

Seven and Chakotay exchanged a quick look.

"It appears there's a subtle degradation in your cortical node," the Doctor continued. "It's small, yet has been continuously progressing for months now. Currently it's contained in a portion of the node with functions you no longer need, but if we don't correct it, I project it will expand and eventually your cortical node will destabilize."

Seven frowned. "How long?"

"At the current rate of degradation, about a year, possibly sooner."

"Destabilize. What would that mean for Seven?" Chakotay asked.

"The node will no longer be able to regulate her Borg implants," the Doctor explained. "Worst case would be that her implants start shutting down one by one. Her own immune system might start rejecting them even before that time."

"My implants and body will adapt," Seven stated, although not with the certainty she usually displayed.

"I don't think so," the Doctor confessed. "And you have many implants that are necessary for your survival."

"So this is life threatening," Chakotay interpreted.

"Yes," the Doctor replied soberly.

A heavy silence followed as Seven digested this information.

"Might what happened the other night be related to the degradation?" Chakotay asked.

The Doctor nodded vigorously. "Precisely," he said. "I might not have discovered this until after it was too late if it wasn't for the analysis I've been doing concerning the Borg fail-safe. The cortical node is a remarkably complicated piece of machinery. "

"So you can repair me?" Seven asked, picking up on the notion that the Doctor had alluded to the fact that it wasn't too late.

"I believe so," the Doctor replied in a quieter tone. "But we're going to have to start immediately. As you know, I've been thinking about a way to reconfigure the micro-circuitry to bypass the fail-safe. As it turns out, the fail-safe is not exactly what I thought it was."

"Clarify."

"Some of the cortical node's function, including what we called the fail-safe, is related to linking a drone to the Hive Mind and regulating the flow of thoughts. Mostly from the Hive Mind to the drone, but to a lesser degree from the drone back into the Hive Mind. The fail-safe is more of a valve that limits the emotional content of the drone's thoughts, whether conscious or sub-conscious, from entering the Hive Mind unfiltered."

"But Seven is no longer linked to the Hive Mind," Chakotay interjected.

The Doctor nodded. "In your case Seven, this portion of the node is mostly idle. In fact, it's where the degradation is located and why it went undetected until now. The fail-safe, or this valve, is always active and trying to function, but with no connection to the Hive Mind, there appears to be a feedback that ensues resulting in the malfunction we witnessed. Evidently only particular emotions cause a problem. It also may be that the degradation itself is associated with the dormancy of this portion of the cortical node." The Doctor turned and looked at the floor. "I must admit if I hadn't gone looking for the fail-safe I may have missed the degradation all together until it appeared in the more critical functions."

"And certain emotions connected to our relationship created the feedback in this valve?" Chakotay asked.

"Precisely," the Doctor answered. "It's likely different depending on the individual and the state of the cortical node. A multitude of factors undoubtedly are in play."

Seven appeared shell-shocked. Chakotay moved up beside her and placed his arm around her shoulder. This snapped her out of her internal thoughts. Her eyes refocused on the Doctor. "What will you need to do?" she asked.

"I won't lie to you, Seven. It will entail multiple surgeries, and the recovery might be difficult as your cortical node adjusts to the changes I'll need to make. I plan to deactivate the fail-safe valve and isolate the portion of the cortical node that has degraded. There are multiple built-in redundancies I can use. Once that is accomplished, I believe the degradation will be contained." He paused for a moment to let that all sink in, and then added, "I've already prepared the surgical bay. We can begin immediately."

Seven didn't answer.

"We'll be right there Doctor," Chakotay said. He was looking at Seven carefully. The Doctor understood, and moved off towards the surgical bay to prepare.

"Imperfection," Seven stated after the Doctor had left. "The Borg grasp for perfection. I've always felt perfection is something to strive for. I suppose a bit of the Borg mentality I have never fully shed. But I will always be imperfect."

"As all of us are imperfect," Chakotay replied.

Seven frowned. He was agreeing she was not perfect, and never could be. There was something she had wished to ask Chakotay from their very first date when it became clear he was not going through the motions but was actually pleased to be in her company. Most people on _Voyager_ were still uncomfortable in her presence, but not Chakotay. Not before either. "What is it that you find attractive about me?" she asked.

Chakotay thought for only a short moment. "You are intelligent and beautiful, and yet also unpretentious. You are honest, insightful, and … and you bring out the best in me."

"I am not perfect."

Chakotay smiled and turned Seven to face him while still holding onto her shoulders. Seven found it both comforting and difficult to look into his eyes. He seemed compassionate and tender and strong and hopeful, all at the same time. Everything Seven needed him to be. "We are imperfect beings in an imperfect universe," he said softly. "But sometimes, together, we can reach for something as close to perfect as we could ever hope to have."

#

Author's note: A shorter chapter this time. Please review if you are so inclined.

The fail-safe has always been a bit of a problem. If it triggers in the episode "Human Error", why didn't it trigger before then? Some point to the fact that it's not her original cortical node by the time of that episode, but it is Icheb's cortical node (given to Seven in "Imperfection"). But then, why would the cortical nodes operate so differently? This AU is before both "Human Error" and "Imperfection". I wanted to come up with something that is common to all cortical nodes but changes the nature of the fail-safe while still fitting somewhat with canon. I also wanted to make it possible to sometimes ignore the fail-safe in some AUs, as it would become too redundant to always have it kicking off whenever Seven and Chakotay get too close (I'm not planning on bringing up the fail-safe in any of my other current stories). What do you think?


	7. Other Surprises

Chapter 7 – Other Surprises

Crewman Celes Tal took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Why did she always feel this way when entering Astrometrics? Of course, she knew exactly what the answer was. She was intimidated by Seven of Nine. Nothing she ever did seemed good enough. And today was the first day Seven would be back, at least for a short time anyway, not that Tal wasn't any less intimidated by Ensign Delaney… either of them. The young Bajoran adjusted the PADDs she held and stepped through the entrance. As the doors swished shut behind her, at first Tal thought Astrometrics was empty. Seven wasn't at her usual perch at the main controls in front of the large Astrometrics display presiding over her domain. Then she noticed Seven was seated off to the side at an auxiliary station. She was in a chair Tal didn't recognize and wearing the green Star Fleet uniform of a science officer. Tal knew Seven had been undergoing some sort of mysterious procedures the last couple of days, probably related to what happened the previous week after she left the Kadi ambassador's reception. What a night that had been. Seven had attended with Commander Chakotay, apparently on their second date, and stormed out after a short time with Chakotay on her heels. Soon after, the ambassador had passed out after making quite a fuss with everyone left. Now, a week later, Commander Chakotay would each day make his rounds, and always spent a great deal of time in sickbay where Seven had been recovering.

Tal cleared her throat. "Good afternoon," she announced, and moved over to where Seven was seated. Seven pivoted her chair by moving the two large wheels on either side. There were two smaller wheels in the front with steps above these where Seven placed her feet. Tal idly wondered when the last time was she had seen Seven sitting.

"Crewman Celes," Seven said. "Do not be alarmed. As I'm sure you are aware, I've been in sickbay these past few days. The Doctor is repairing a defect in my cortical node, but it requires the retraining of certain circuitry that controls some of my implants. I'm currently having difficulty walking, but I assure you it is only temporary."

Tal nodded and readjusted the PADDs in her arms. Evidently Seven wanted to get that out of the way. "I see," she said, deciding belatedly that some sort of reply was expected.

"Did you bring the analysis I asked for concerning the atomic and molecular composition of the nebula _Voyager_ is approaching cross referenced to those contained in the Federation database?"

Tal nodded again and picked one of the PADDs she was holding and looked at it, and then handed the other one to Seven.

Seven examined the PADD for a moment and started scrolling through the results. Probably double checking some of the findings. Fortunately the report wasn't critical, and Seven protected the rest of the crew from her mistakes anyway. Eventually Seven looked back up. "Did Crewman Tefler assist you in this analysis?"

"No, this was all my work," Tal answered. As Seven examined the PADD further, however, Tal felt compelled to add, "I did have him look it over. I wanted to be sure it was correct."

Seven tapped on the PADD and nodded. "It is sufficient." Thank the prophets! Seven wheeled back to the auxiliary station and entered some new information. Tal was wondering if she was dismissed when Seven turned back to face her. "The Captain is sending a shuttle to make a closer inspection of the Class M planet discovered in this nebula. She requested someone from Astrometrics. After some discussion with her and Commander Chakotay regarding crew efficiency, and since I will be unable to participate in this particular away mission, I have assigned you to go in my place."

Tal was a bit stunned. "Me?"

Seven nodded. "Yes. You will be operating the sensors on the shuttle and handling communications."

"Wouldn't either of the Ensigns Delaney be a better choice?"

"The functions you will be asked to perform are well within your abilities," Seven replied. "Besides, Megan has been temporarily assigned to engineering, and I require Jenny to remain here."

"Isn't this a possible first contact away mission?"

"That is correct. The Captain will be commanding the away mission. Will you be able to comply?"

"Yes ma'am," Tal replied. She shifted uncomfortably. Something was still troubling her. This was the first away mission she had ever been assigned to. Ever. The last thing Tal wanted was to make a mistake that might really matter and put someone at risk. "May I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"You never seem fully pleased with my performance, and yet you still want me on this away mission?"

Seven frowned. "We all must be challenged to improve efficiency. The Captain and the Commander agree. As I said, the functions you will be asked to perform are well within your abilities. Additionally, Crewman Tefler has also been assigned to the away mission. I have noticed your performance is greatly improved with his assistance, and so I expect a similar level of performance on this away mission as well."

"Thank you," Tal replied, but secretly wondered if Billy would be well enough to go. In the few times he was assigned before, he became ill. In fact, he hadn't ever been on an away mission either. He was a good friend and all. Sometimes Tal wished he was more than a friend, but just as away missions made him nervous, Tal concluded that the idea of dating made him just as nervous. She sighed at the thought, and then stiffened hoping Seven hadn't noticed.

Seven typed some more commands and closed out the station. Tal decided it was time to turn and leave to make her escape. "Just a moment," Seven said. "If you could assist me. I need to go to sickbay for a short time to ask the Doctor a question. There are handles on the back of this chair to facilitate someone guiding me in the right direction."

"Oh," Tal said. It was like an old style hoverchair. She placed the other PADD she was holding down. "Of course." Tal tentatively stepped behind the chair and started pushing it towards the door. "Is everything alright?"

"I am scheduled for more surgeries tomorrow, but this visit regards a question unrelated to my cortical node. Something I would rather ask in person and not over the comm."

Tal nodded, but then realized Seven couldn't see her so said "Okay."

The doors to Astrometrics opened and Tal wheeled Seven out into the corridor. What Tal really wanted to ask Seven about was her recent dates with Commander Chakotay. She and her friends, including Billy, and indeed the whole ship, were speculating about the two of them, and now she had the perfect opportunity to discover some more details. Could she just ask Seven about it? After their first date, Tal had forgotten herself due to the shear novelty of it and had asked Seven about how her date had gone. Directly, just like that. Now that Seven and Commander Chakotay's dating had become the norm, however, it was back to being tongue-tied and nervous.

"Commander Chakotay wants to teach me to swim," Seven said, interrupting Tal's thoughts. "I need to ask the Doctor how the salt water might affect my exposed Borg implants." Tal's eyes widened. She didn't even have to ask. Seven was explaining why she wanted to go to sickbay without prompting.

"Salt water?" Tal managed.

"Yes," Seven replied. "The Commander intends to conduct these lessons in a holodepiction of the planet Risa. The high saline content of the water will aid in buoyancy."

Tal's eyes widened even further. Risa? The so-called pleasure planet. Tal tried to imagine Commander Chakotay and Seven in bathing attire. It took a moment for Tal to form a response. "That sounds like fun," she finally said.

"I agree," Seven said nodding. "It is also quite practical. The buoyancy will not only help with swimming, but also make it easier for me to walk about when we are wading in shallow water."

They arrived at sickbay and Tal pushed Seven through the entrance, her mind reeling.

#

Crewman Billy Tefler gasped. Another away mission? The thought of it made him begin to sweat, and he felt a catch in his throat. No, this wouldn't do at all. He had been feeling a bit under the weather lately. He shouldn't go on this away mission either, particularly if it was a possible first contact situation. Commander Chakotay was out of his mind. It wouldn't be fair to possibly infect the alien species with the germs he was undoubtedly carrying. He pushed himself away from his station and stood. He would simply have to go see the Doctor and get evaluated.

Billy coughed as he left his work area and moved with a purpose to the turbo lift. Indeed, his nose now felt a bit itchy and he stretched his neck because it was beginning to feel stiff. If this _was_ a possible first contact mission, the Captain would likely be in command. And undoubtedly Seven of Nine would also be there. Billy shook his head to get these thoughts out of his head.

As he neared sickbay, the entrance suddenly opened and Crewman Celes Tal exited. She was grinning, and when she noticed Billy, she grinned even wider. "Billy," she said and grabbed his shoulders, moving him back down the corridor a bit. She glanced back at the sickbay entrance to make certain the doors were completely closed. "I just had the most remarkable conversation with Seven."

Billy was a bit shocked. Tal usually dreaded interacting with the ex-Borg drone. And did she just call her Seven and not Seven of Nine? "Wh…What is it?" he stammered.

"Commander Chakotay is taking Seven to Risa. Tonight!" Tal's face glowed. She had the most amazing smile when she got excited about something.

Tal had gently pinned Billy against the corridor wall and was pressing him in place by the shoulders. "Risa?" he queried, having trouble wrapping his head about it. He was still getting used to the idea of Commander Chakotay and Seven of Nine dating.

"A holoprogram," Tal said in irritation. She released her grip and gestured back towards sickbay. "She's asking the Doctor right now if it would be okay."

That reminded Billy of why he had come here. The Doctor would scan him, give him reassurances he didn't really believe, and then recommend he not be assigned to tomorrow's away mission. Wouldn't it be nice to go visit a holoprogram with Tal instead? He had plenty of holodeck time banked up. He cleared his throat again.

"Oh, there's something else," Tal continued. "She selected me to represent Astrometrics on the upcoming away mission. Can you believe that? She says my work has improved and I should be challenged to improve efficiency."

What was that? Tal would be on this away mission? She had never been assigned to an away mission before. She had never been able to pass the proficiency requirements.

"Thanks for checking over that sensor analysis again," Tal continued. She crossed her arms and turned back towards sickbay. "Can you believe it about Commander Chakotay and Seven?"

"You know, I am assigned to that away mission as well," Billy said.

"I know," Tal responded. "That's another reason why Seven assigned me. She said we seem to work well together."

Yes! Yes they did work well together, didn't they? Then a crazy thought entered his head. "Maybe the two of us should visit Risa sometime too." It was out of his mouth before he had a chance to think it over. He had wanted to ask Tal out for some time now, ever since he had known her, but wasn't sure she wanted to be more than just friends. She was probably his best friend out here in the wilds of the Delta Quadrant and he didn't want to jeopardize that. But if Commander Chakotay and Seven of Nine were dating, why not them? Wait. With his invitation to visit Risa, just the two of them, had he just now essentially asked Tal out on a date?

"Are you asking me on a date?" Tal asked with a smile. Even her eyes were smiling.

"I… ah"

Tal leaned forward and gave Billy a hug. Billy tentatively hugged her back. If he did just ask her out on a date, her answer was apparently yes.

#

Ensign Jenny Delaney turned when the doors to Astrometrics opened. It was Seven. She was being pushed in her wheelchair by Ayala. "Thank you. I can take it from here," Seven said. Ayala nodded and then moved back out into the corridor. The doors swished shut as Seven fully entered the room.

"Welcome back," Jenny said, and noticing Seven's uniform added, "green looks good on you."

"I concur."

"I arrived about twenty minutes ago to check in," Jenny continued. "I was just completing the daily report and going over the schedule of scans planned for this evening." She motioned to the PADD on the railing that contained a synopsis of the day's activities. "All we're waiting on for tomorrow is the shuttle's navigational parameters."

"Could you stay here and wait for them?" Seven replied. "I'm only here for a short time. Commander Chakotay is picking me up soon."

"Oh?"

Seven wheeled up to the railing near the main control platform. She then locked the wheels to her chair and reached down to move the foot rests out of the way. Holding onto the railing, she lifted herself out of the chair. Jenny moved over to help her, but Seven waved her back. "I need to practice this on my own," she said and started walking haltingly along the railing. With considerable effort, she stepped up onto the platform and moved to stand next to Jenny. "Unfortunately, the Doctor has planned another series of surgeries on my cortical node for tomorrow. I'm leaving early today. I'll also need for you to continue filling in during my duty shift and lead Astrometrics for a few more days."

Jenny nodded. Commander Chakotay had alluded to the possibility the day before. "That won't be a problem."

"I assigned Crewman Celes to tomorrow morning's away mission," Seven continued. "I know we both had reservations, but I expect she will perform adequately. The Captain specifically requested the assignment."

"Understood," Jenny replied. "I will double check her work just in case before we finalize any report."

"A wise precaution." Seven tapped some commands and scrolled down the schedule of sensor scans. "These will do fine," she eventually said.

Jenny was pleased. Seven was meticulous and demanding, and so even an offhand remark such as that was a great compliment. Jenny started to reach towards the PADD with the daily report, but then hesitated. She had been wondering something for the past week, and now was as good a time as any. It was actually something both she and her sister had discussed and had differing opinions. Anything that changed the social structure on _Voyager_ was sure to cause rumors and speculation. Commander Chakotay and Seven dating was no exception, perhaps more so given who was involved. It was a small ship, after all. Add onto that its suddenness, apparent rapid progression, and Seven's coincident health issues, and the whole thing had caused quite a disruption amongst the crew. It was only natural to try and get the facts straight. "May I ask you a question?"

"Of course," Seven replied, turning to face Jenny.

"There's conflicting stories regarding who asked who on your first date with Commander Chakotay. My sister Megan thinks it was he who asked you, but I think it was you who asked him."

"You are correct."

Jenny smiled. So much for Megan's inside track with the Maquis. Seven asking seemed to fit her character. How she knew Chakotay would say yes was anyone's guess. Jenny decided to probe a bit more. "How exactly did it all happen? How did you ask?"

Seven raised one of her eyebrows. It was a talent Jenny had always wanted to be able to do, but for whatever reason, she could only raise both her eyebrows together when she tried. Jenny smiled again at the thought. It that one small gesture, Jenny could read all sorts of things. Are you kidding? Doesn't the crew have anything better to do than speculate regarding the two of them? Seven's response wasn't exactly what Jenny expected. "Are you asking my advice?"

Jenny shrugged. Truth be known, she hadn't been nearly as successful with the individual she was attracted to. "I suppose I am," she confessed. "There's someone I've been wanting to date, for quite a long time now, but he doesn't seem to be interested. I was thinking, given your success, perhaps I would give it another go. I'll try what you did. It has seemed to work very well for you and the Commander."

Seven now nodded. "Agreed," she said. She turned back to the readout, but was obviously not thinking of the upcoming scans but attempting to remember the circumstances of her asking Chakotay on their first date. "The Doctor was giving me social lessons. We were at the point of arranging my first date. The Doctor and I planned a meal on the holodeck, in Ensign Paris' recreation of Chez Sandrines."

"Ah yes," Jenny said, rolling her eyes. "I never did see the attraction to the place."

"Nor I," Seven confessed. "I knew Commander Chakotay would be coming here to pick up the daily report," she continued. "So at the end of our customary interchange, I simply asked if he would like to attend with me."

"Just like that," Jenny said. That didn't give her much to go on. "But how did you ask? What _exactly_ did you say?"

Seven frowned. "I believe I said, 'Your presence is requested, tonight. Nineteen hundred hours. Holodeck two.'"

Jenny chuckled. Direct, succinct, and to the point. It was quintessential Seven and perfect.

"Do you believe this might work on your intended date?" Seven queried, now apparently curious.

Again Jenny shrugged. She had tried any number of times, and most recently he seemed more interested in her sister Megan than her. Jenny felt she could be just as artistic and quiet and… Well, she could be artistic. It's not that there weren't others on _Voyager_ who might also interest her. For whatever reason, she had decided to keep persisting anyway. It was like a comfortable pair of shoes. "It's hard to say," she finally said. "I'm not sure about asking him so directly. I think he already thinks I'm a bit too aggressive."

Seven raised her eyebrow again. How does she do that?

Jenny waved it off. She didn't want to bring up _that_ again. "Something that happened long ago, in another holodeck program."

Just then the doors to Astrometrics opened and Commander Chakotay walked in. He smiled broadly at the two of them, although Jenny suspected the smile was primarily directed towards Seven.

#

Ensign Harry Kim was on his way to Astrometrics. The Captain had asked him to help plot the course for the shuttlecraft in the upcoming away mission and he was on his way to drop off the final navigational parameters so whoever it was who was going on the mission could have it available ahead of time. From what he overheard, the Captain had gathered a group of crew members who had never been on an away mission before. That should be interesting. He could have simply deposited the parameters into the correct data directory on the main computer and used the comm to notify Astrometrics, but he decided Commander Chakotay's example of actually visiting the various sections to hand deliver something or pick it up was the best policy. And as he was thinking of Commander Chakotay, Harry noticed him moving in his direction pushing Seven in a wheelchair.

"Good afternoon Commander, Seven." Harry said amiably when they got close.

"Good afternoon Harry," Chakotay replied.

"Are those the navigational parameters?" Seven asked.

Harry lifted the PADD he was holding. "Right here," he said.

"Excellent," Seven said. "Please proceed immediately to Astrometrics. They are expecting them."

Seven was never one much for small talk, and Chakotay smiled, apparently amused by the interchange.

"On my way," Harry said with a wave and continued down the corridor. The Commander and Seven continued in the other direction to go wherever they were off to. Funny seeing the two of them together. Harry had been there with Seven for the original conception of her asking Chakotay on a date. At the time, he thought it was doomed to failure. The age difference, the command structure on _Voyager_ , the fact that they seemed to have so little in common. They seemed polar opposites, but perhaps that's why it was working so well. They complimented each other's personalities and characteristics.

He entered Astrometrics and Jenny Delaney was there. She was standing in Seven's usual place, commanding the space on the raised platform of the main terminal. She turned to face Harry with an intense glare.

"Are those the navigational parameters?" Jenny asked.

Harry again lifted the PADD he was holding. "Right here," he said.

"Excellent," Jenny said. "Hand them over please." She reached out her hand to accept the PADD. Now that Jenny was filling in at Astrometrics, Harry noted she was sounding more and more like Seven. Harry stepped forward and handed the PADD to Jenny. She quickly put it next to the terminal and downloaded the parameters. Even though she didn't have that same dimple that Megan had, she was quite beautiful.

"Well, I'll be heading back to the bridge now," Harry said, somewhat reluctantly.

"Harry," Jenny said as he turned to leave. "Just a moment."

"Yes?"

Jenny scrunched up her face just a bit, as if she was trying to remember something. "Your presence is requested, tonight. Nineteen hundred hours. Holodeck one."

Harry paused. Was Jenny asking him on a date? It had been a while since the last time she made it plain that she was interested in him. Why was it that he always rebuffed her advances? Was he still embarrassed over falling out of the gondola on their one and only date, if you could even call it a date. It had lasted all of fifteen minutes, and that was over four years ago. Back then, Tom was convinced the _Voyager_ crew would start pairing off. The only humans in the Delta Quadrant. Granted, there were definitely some sporadic relationships amongst the crew here and there, but nothing like what Tom envisioned. In fact, it was perhaps only Tom and B'Elanna who were now getting more serious after all this time in the Delta Quadrant. "For dinner?" Harry asked.

Jenny nodded.

Harry nodded back. Just a few months ago in the Captain Proton holoprogram, even Tom noticed that Jenny was still interested. Harry was actually feeling a bit enthusiastic about the prospect of spending some time with her. And why not? "Sure, that sounds great. As long as we don't go to Venice."

#

"So you pick a partner and we'll play doubles," Tom Paris said.

B'Elanna Torres stopped and turned to face Tom, giving her best 'you gotta be kidding' look. "Ping pong?"

Tom shrugged. "Sure," he replied. "It will be fun. Chapman and I have been playing lately and I thought you'd like to get involved. We could replicate a table for the mess hall."

B'Elanna frowned. Whenever she got involved in one of Tom's tangential activities, it always seemed to turn into a competition. Was that all there was to their relationship? Although, she had to admit it was often enjoyable and amusing when he lost. She was about to begrudgingly agree to his latest tangent when she noticed Chakotay pushing Seven of Nine in a wheelchair at the end of the corridor. They were turning a corner and heading for the turbolift. She motioned for Tom to look. "See there. I bet Chakotay is taking Seven to the holodeck."

Tom glanced over his shoulder to look and then turned back to B'Elanna. "So what do you say?"

B'Elanna ignored Tom's question. Table tennis, ping pong, whatever. "You know, yesterday I bumped into Chakotay making some adjustments to a program in holodeck two. Do you know what program it was?" She didn't wait for Tom to answer. "He's taking her to Risa." She smirked and pointed back down the corridor to where Chakotay and Seven had just been. "To Risa," she repeated. "I wonder what _that_ means."

"Nothing nefarious," Tom said with a laugh. "I was just down in sickbay and Seven was asking the Doc about getting her implants wet. Chakotay is going to take Seven swimming. A sort of therapy as she retrains the implants in her legs."

"You don't find it all strange how quickly the two of them have become inseparable?" B'Elanna continued. "One minute Seven is observing our every move to gather data about human mating behavior, and the next she's going to Risa with Chakotay."

"I don't think it's what you're thinking," Tom replied. "Besides, I think it's great. It's about time the two of them started dating."

B'Elanna looked surprised. "You think the two of them have been secretly swooning for each other."

Tom laughed again. "No," he confessed. "I'm not sure anyone would have put the two of them together before. What I was meaning is, we're all stuck here in the Delta Quadrant for who knows how long. It could be decades. If they're going to find love, their choices are limited."

B'Elanna crossed her arms and looked irritated. Tom could be so dense sometimes. "Is that so?"

Tom's eyes widened ever so slightly as the light emitting diode went off in his brain. "For the two of us, it's different of course," he backpedaled. Oh how she loved it when he put his foot in his mouth.

B'Elanna shook her head. Back to the problem at hand. "Chakotay is not the dating type," she explained. "His ideal would be to settle down with someone and grow old together. He's said it before. At this rate, before you know it, the two of them might be married for all we know." B'Elanna stopped suddenly. Oops. A topic that Tom and B'Elanna had successfully avoided up to this point in their relationship. Marriage wasn't something to take lightly. For some reason, B'Elanna couldn't quite remember why they hadn't yet talked about it.

"Is that so?" Tom said, his face now filled with questions. He was undoubtedly thinking the same things, the ping pong tournament now the furthest thing from his mind.

#

Author's notes: Looking to finish this story up. Although it could continue indefinitely, as with any retelling of various events in an alternative universe/timeline, I think only one more chapter for this story.

I alluded to a possible backstory that The Cheshire Cheese suggested in her latest story regarding the Delaney sisters (Megan joining the Maquis and Jenny joining _Voyager_ to find her lost sister). I'd love to see her write that one up.

As for Celes Tal, I'm going by the convention I used in my story 'Healing Wounds' where Tal is her given name and Celes is her Bajoran family name. I realize that might not be the norm.

Thanks to those who have read this story so far and particularly to those who have left reviews…


	8. Risa

Chapter 8 – Risa

The holodeck opened and Chakotay pushed Seven inside, the program already running. When the doors slid shut, the entrance was immediately covered by a holographic cloak, and the illusion of being on Risa was complete. Before them was a white sandy beach of one of the outer islands in Risa's Western Archipelago. Small waves lapped lazily against the shore and the turquoise ocean stretched to the horizon. Off shore, larger waves broke against an encircling coral reef, and some clouds covered the peaks of other islands in the distance. They had the beach all to themselves, save for a few Risan gulls searching for shellfish further along near the end of their small island.

Chakotay locked the wheels and unhooked a bag that was on the back of Seven's wheelchair. He moved around to the front and then offered Seven a hand in getting up. "We'll have to walk a short distance from here," Chakotay said, "but you can lean on me all you want."

Seven pushed herself up and then grabbed hold of Chakotay's free arm. He had been so helpful to her these past few days. They started walking towards a nearby small hut at the edge of the sand under the shade of some tall trees. Their island was relatively flat, covering perhaps as much as fifty acres, and the other side was just visible through the trees that covered much of the interior. As the Doctor had predicted, her cortical node was compensating and mobility was becoming easier. The planned surgeries in the morning to reprogram more of the node would facilitate her recovery as well. With the uneven footing on the sand, however, she decided it prudent to keep a tight hold onto Chakotay. The hut they approached was constructed from the native flora and appeared to belong there as part of the island. Seven glanced towards the sun. It shown brightly in the western sky along with a wedge shaped glint off Risa's equatorial rings. It was amazing how realistic the holodeck could appear. She had noticed the same with the Andoria program. Here, however, it was hot despite the fact that it looked to be only a few hours until sunset. A little too hot. "Computer, reduce the ambient temperature by five degrees," she ordered.

"Computer, belay that order," Chakotay said.

Seven turned to him with an irritated look. "It is far too hot for our current attire."

Chakotay laughed. "This from the person who plans for us to be wearing breathers to get an authentic experience while hiking on Canes Vallera Septum … and avoiding two meter dogs with fangs while we're at it."

"We will of course have the holodeck safety protocols fully engaged," Seven countered. She gestured towards the ocean, "and aren't there similar creatures on this planet?"

"There are some pretty large and nasty semi-sentient sharks," Chakotay confirmed. "But they only hunt at night." He let the bag he was holding drop to the sand and then leaned over to pull something out. It was what appeared to be a small bit of blue fabric. "Besides, we're going to change into something more appropriate anyway. Here you go. A bathing suit."

Seven looked at the garment dubiously. "There doesn't appear to be enough of it," she finally said.

"We can't very well go swimming in our uniforms," Chakotay replied. "It's made from the same fabric as your biosuits. It will stretch a bit."

Seven accepted the bathing suit. From the look of it, her legs and arms would be completely uncovered. "My Scandinavian heritage makes my skin susceptible to damage by ultraviolet radiation," she said.

"Don't worry," Chakotay said with a smile. "Not much UV light in this sun. The safety protocols are fully engaged."

Chakotay was teasing her. Something she was not used to, but found enjoyable in an odd sort of way. He had started during her recuperation, perhaps as they both felt more comfortable with each other. Seven decided she would have to start reciprocating when the opportunity arose. Concerning the bathing suit, she still didn't appear fully convinced. She looked towards the hut, surmising it was a place for her to change. "Will you be wearing a similar costume?" she asked. Chakotay reached down into the bag and pulled out what appeared to be an emerald green pair of shortened pants. He held it out for Seven to inspect. Apparently he wouldn't be wearing a shirt. Seven nodded. "That is acceptable."

"You can change inside the bungalow," he said, referring to the hut as Seven had suspected. "Do you need help getting there?"

"I can manage," Seven replied and turned towards the door.

"Just a second," Chakotay said and reached back down into the bag. He took out two small devices. Each appeared to be darkened ovals connected by a black composite material. Chakotay unfolded one and placed the device on his face, two of the rods extended back and were placed on his ears with the ovals covering his eyes. "Sunglasses," he explained. "For the glare of the sun."

"I see," Seven replied, accepting the second pair.

Slipping into the bathing suit was a relatively straight forward procedure. As with her biosuits and now her uniforms, it being a single piece made its application self-explanatory. Soon enough, Seven emerged from the changing hut. She unfolded the sunglasses, as Chakotay had done, and placed them on her face to cover her eyes. Chakotay was already in his own bathing suit as well and was leaning against a nearby tree. His uniform was folded neatly on the ground beside him, and so he must have changed out in the open. Seven wondered idly if they had remembered to lock the holodeck controls. He moved over to stand next to her. The bag was slung over his shoulder, and so it must still hold some other items he would divulge later.

It was the first time Chakotay had seen most of Seven's remaining external Borg implants. In fact, only the Doctor, and perhaps Mister Paris if he had assisted in her original surgeries, had seen all of them. It wasn't that Seven was self-conscious. She had no control over her appearance in that respect. She found herself curious, however, to know precisely what he was thinking. "Are you surprised?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"About my appearance."

Chakotay took a step back and then shook his head. "Oh no. You are quite beautiful, and the bathing suit fits you perfectly."

Seven raised an eyebrow. "I was referring to the appearance of my remaining external Borg implants." The implant on her right hand extended up her arm to a point on her bicep where it ended in a device that managed both those sensors and the biradial clamp in her shoulder. On both legs, similar implants protruded along her thighs, knees and calves along the outside. These managed the various internal implants that improved the strength and structure of her legs, and was why she was having difficulty walking with the compromised control by the cortical node.

"Do they hurt you?"

Seven frowned. "I am always aware of their existence," she responded. "Not painful, as such. But an irritant."

"Hmmm. Well perhaps being submersed in salt water will be soothing," he said, moving closer to again serve as her crutch and help her across the sand. This wasn't teasing. He was apparently unconscious to the intent of her inquiry and totally unconcerned about how the implants changed her appearance. In fact, he was more concerned about her comfort. She again grabbed hold of his arm, deciding it would be safer for her to use him as a support.

As they approached the water, Seven's thoughts returned to the upcoming away mission to the nebula. "I still believe it is unwise of the Captain to take those three untested crewmen on the away mission," she said. She felt partly responsible, since it was the result of her evaluation of crew efficiency. The report she presented to the Captain and Chakotay was a study she had been thinking of doing before, and the opportunity presented itself when she was confined to sickbay and recuperating. She hadn't anticipated the Captain's response.

"How did Tal react when you assigned her to the away mission?" Chakotay asked.

"Surprised, but agreeable," Seven replied.

Chakotay then shrugged. "It was the Captain's idea. What did you expect would happen when you singled them out in your efficiency report?"

Now Seven shrugged. "Certainly not this," she finally said. "I thought, perhaps, they would be reassigned or disciplined in some way to encourage them to better performance."

"That's not the Captain's way. Besides, we're in a very unique situation. _Voyager_ is alone in the Delta Quadrant. No one can simply transfer to a different assignment if they don't fit in or can't find a job that suits them. We have to all learn to live with each other and encourage one another to contribute as best we can."

"My intention was not punitive," Seven said. "The report was simply an efficiency evaluation of each department. I was trying to make use of my time when I was recovering in sickbay."

"Very efficient of you."

Seven couldn't help but notice a slight smile forming at the corners of Chakotay's mouth. "You're making fun of me now," she said, although it was hard to be truly annoyed with him. Efficiency was important, although Seven was realizing it could be taken to an extreme. It may be more efficient to obtain nutrients through direct energy conversion in a specialized Borg implant, for instance, but was far less enjoyable than sharing a meal with a friend.

"It's not that at all," Chakotay replied. "I'm just teasing you." He moved so they were facing each other. He took off his sunglasses, and then Seven's, and dropped them into the bag he had placed on the sand. He then brought up both his hands on placed them on her bare shoulders. "You know Seven, the more I'm with you, the more I just want to be with you." She could feel the pressure of his hands against her skin and they emanated a different sort of heat. Before she could say anything in response, he moved one arm around her back and the other he reached down and around the back of her knees. In one swift movement, she was up in his arms. Seven wrapped her arms about his neck for stability and Chakotay started walking into the water. "There's some rocks here close to the shore," he explained. "I'll get you out to deeper water, and then we'll start our lesson."

The deeper water began about midway between the shore and the whitewater of the waves breaking against the coral reef. Seven marveled at the complexity of the holodeck recreation. The salt water was manufactured, much as a replicator would, but only enough to tease the mind into believing they were actually swimming in an ocean. Force fields contained what was needed and created the breezes and sounds, and holographic projections provided the rest. If they wished, they could swim or walk the entire circuit of their island, all the while contained within the confines of the holodeck. Sophisticated gravitational shifts based on the artificial gravity and inertial damping technologies were capable of fooling all but the most observant of users. When they reached a depth where the water was chest deep, Chakotay started his swimming lesson. They first treaded water and Seven learned how to float on her back. Chakotay did it so effortlessly, but the increased density of the Borg implants weighed Seven down enough that it was more difficult for her despite the high salinity of the water. Chakotay was always close by, which suited Seven fine. The salt water, in fact, did seem to make her implants feel less noticeable.

Next came some elementary strokes. At the start, Chakotay would support her and move along as she swam. Seven had researched beforehand, so was familiar with the mechanics of each and what was expected. Translating that to the correct motion was a bit more challenging. It seemed easier to get her legs to move in the water, however, and so soon enough, she was able to traverse some distance on her own.

The sun was touching the horizon when they decided to call it quits. As they approached the shore, Seven noticed that Chakotay was guiding them towards the bag he had dropped on the sand before he had carried her into the water. The tide line had changed little since Risa had only a small distant moon outside its rings. This time he didn't offer to carry her, which to Seven's surprise, was a little disappointing.

"You're walking much better," Chakotay noted as they approached the bag.

"I am feeling much better," Seven replied. Still shaky, but the swimming had done her good.

Chakotay reached inside and pulled out two large beach towels. One had a colorful design on it, and Chakotay handed this one to Seven. She held it out to get a better look. The design was familiar, a butterfly whose wings appeared to be upside down. "From your childhood story," he explained. "I used some of my replicator rations."

Of course. Seven had seen the image when she accessed the database the other day. "Let me see yours," she said, now curious. Chakotay held his towel out for Seven to examine. There were two brightly colored and stylized creatures over a dark background, one with a muzzle and another with many legs and eyes. Seven immediately understood the reference. "Coyote and his friend Iktome." She pointed to a depiction of a house with a river running through it in the background and added, "And this must be the Cardassian's dwelling." Chakotay laughed, and Seven found herself smiling also. They both dried themselves, and then Chakotay laid his towel on the sand. Seven placed hers next to his and they both sat down facing the setting sun. Chakotay turned to his bag and started looking inside again. "That bag appears bottomless," Seven commented.

"Not quite," Chakotay replied, "but I did bring a snack for us to have as we watch the sunset. Something Neelix cooked up for Naomi on a camping trip a few months ago." He first pulled out a thermos and handed it to Seven. "First some water though," he explained, and then reached in and pulled out a devise and placed it on the sand in front of them. Touching a button on the side, the center of the device began to glow and some flames danced on the top. It was a stove. Next, he brought out some square brown crackers, and on top of these he placed a bit of what looked like dark chocolate. Finally, he extracted two sticks, which he telescoped out to about a half meter, and on each of these he put a white mushy cylindrical ball.

"What are those?" Seven asked hesitantly.

"Marshmallows," Chakotay replied. "Don't tell me you've never seen a marshmallow before."

Seven shook her head. She could imagine, however, it consisted primarily of sugar and had no nutritional value whatsoever. She observed as Chakotay placed the marshmallow over the flames of the stove. The outer surface began to brown, and Chakotay turned it slowly. Seven placed her marshmallow in the flame as well.

"Not too close," Chakotay said, and moved it away from the flames. "You don't want it to start burning."

"Obviously cooking marshmallows takes some skill," Seven replied.

Chakotay laughed, but continued to meticulously turn his marshmallow above the flame. Seven attempted to duplicate his procedure. Eventually, he pulled his marshmallow back and placed it on the dark chocolate. Taking another cracker, he placed this on top of the marshmallow and pulled the stick out. "Now you," he instructed. Seven took her marshmallow over to the other cracker, and Chakotay performed the same operation. He handed the creation to Seven and then took a big bite out of his. Seven resisted the urge to wipe off the bit of marshmallow that oozed out onto the corner of his lip. "S'mores."

"I beg your pardon."

"That's what they're called. S'mores. First created on Earth in the early twentieth century."

"I believe Naomi invited me to that camping trip as well, but I was unable to participate," Seven said. "It was in the hydroponics bay, if I recall."

Chakotay nodded.

"I regret not being there." More so for the company and not necessarily the cuisine. Seven took a small bite. Not too bad, although it was hard to go wrong when chocolate was involved. "An ancient Earth delicacy," she said, attempting to add a note of sarcasm to her voice.

Chakotay noticed and smiled. He quickly finished off his s'more. "Named that way because you always want 'some more'."

Seven took another small bite. "I think this one will be sufficient for me."

"Suit yourself," Chakotay said and placed another marshmallow on his stick and moved it over the flame. Chakotay finished off his second by the time Seven finished hers. The Risan sun was now set and it was getting noticeably darker. Chakotay turned off the stove and leaned back on his towel. He reached over for the thermos and drank some of the water. "I suppose it's getting late." He didn't sound too happy about it.

Seven didn't quite want the evening to end either. Although it was just after sunset in the Risa holoprogram on the holodeck, she knew it was closer to 2200 hours ship time. She would have to start a regeneration cycle soon so she could report to the Doctor in sickbay at 0500. "Perhaps we could at least watch the stars come out," she suggested.

The two of them laid back on their towels and looked up at the darkening sky. The glow of Risa's rings arched overhead, already easily distinguishable from the twilight glow. Despite the coming of night, it was still quite warm and comfortable. Bright meteors carved paths across the heavens, dust and fragments from the inner rings finally deorbiting and burning up in Risa's upper atmosphere. Seven had read that these displays were a constant nightly spectacle and one of the many attractions that made the planet a popular tourist destination. Seven turned to say something to Chakotay and noticed he had lifted himself slightly on one elbow and wasn't observing the sky or the meteor shower at all but was looking at her instead. "You are missing the visual display," she commented.

Chakotay smiled, but didn't divert his gaze. "It's not quite like the real thing," he mused. "Unpredictable and uncertain. We could program a meteor storm, with amazing bolides. Perhaps even have a meteorite land just offshore. But it's not the same."

"I suppose," Seven replied. Unpredictable and uncertain. Typically Seven wasn't too fond of these qualifiers when applied to a particular situation. Under certain circumstances, however, they did bring about an undeniable excitement. For instance, her evening with Chakotay. Each new conversation. Each new experience. What happened next was not programmed, but was revealed and developed. Unpredictable and uncertain. She quite enjoyed it, particularly because it was a shared experience with him. She couldn't help but wonder how the rest of the evening, however short, might go. And what might happen tomorrow? That, of course, was what Chakotay was alluding to. Neither of them knew what the next minute, or day, or year would bring. There was both uncertainty and certainty in their fledgling romance. They might be uncertain what would happen next, and yet equally certain it would be pleasant and natural.

"From what I understand, the Doctor has completely isolated the so-called fail safe in your cortical node."

Not quite what Seven was expecting. "That is correct," she replied. "There is no more risk of feedback, although the Doctor wishes to reconfigure some of the micro-circuitry to aid in my full recovery."

"Good," Chakotay said. His query, however, was not a prologue to more discussion about her health. It was something else entirely. Chakotay reached over and traced his fingers across Seven's temple and down her cheek. She felt some degree of anticipation as his smile changed subtly and he leaned closer.

Seven closed her eyes as their lips met. Significantly more passionate and more urgent than their first kiss. This was certainly not a time to be efficient. She wrapped her arms about Chakotay's bare back and pulled him closer.

#

Author's note: Hope you all enjoyed the story. My intent was to bring it to a point where the fail-safe was resolved and it was obvious to Seven (and Chakotay) that she made the correct choice for her first date. I will likely have a separate one-shot epilogue (and for those familiar with all my stories, you might even be able to guess what the subject might be), but not for a while as I try and complete my four other stories that are still incomplete. Slowly but surely on those. And although it's true that in two of those stories _Voyager_ was destroyed and in the other two C/7 are currently trapped in a space anomaly or higher dimensional manifold, they are certainly not darker than my other stories. Rest assured it will all be resolved in the end – and perhaps even work out better for the crew than what happened in canon…

I do appreciate all reviews, whether positive or critical. I hope to get another chapter out before the end of the year, but if not, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone.


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